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On Finding the Perfect Work-Life Balance

by Erika Torres
11 comments

work life balanceI feel like I’ve been failing lately on having the perfect work-life balance.

I’ve had the past four weeks off grad school because I’m supposed to be working on these five papers that take the place of my thesis. And you know what I’ve done so far?

I’ve read the prompts.

Haven’t started researching, haven’t done an outline, haven’t even read the reading required. Just read the prompts.

And that’s after two weekends of promising myself, holding myself hostage, that I was going to complete a whole paper. I’ve got four weekends left, and I have to finish at least three papers before school starts again on November 1st.

I’ve been falling behind with my freelance work. For the first time, since probably my freelancing career began, I’ve actually had to turn down work. And at this point, I’m just barely getting by and hoping my clients don’t lose faith in me.

I have a big event that I’m in the middle of planning for my day job right now. And that has been leaving my so exhausted, that by the time I get home, I have no mental or physical energy to work on school or freelance assignments.

Instead, my evenings have been filled with long late-summer walks with my husband and our furry child and endless conversation.

When I try and catch up on work and school on the weekends, I find that life comes up.

And when Life calls, I feel like you should answer it. There will always be more work, there will always be more homework assignments, but Life is so fleeting that it’s best to enjoy it while you have the chance.

So instead of holing myself up in front of a monitor all weekend, like I fully intended to do, Eric and I enjoyed a company picnic Saturday morning, followed by a community festival with our pup, and an evening night cap with my parents.

I love when we do family things.

I went to brunch with my family on Sunday, and then attended the Princess Diana exhibit in Long Beach, followed by one of those long evenings talking with my aunts and cousins, where we just talk and talk, and tell the same stories over and over again, and eat delicious homemade Mexican food.

Maybe there is no such thing as the work-life balance. Maybe it’s just making sure you choose what’s most important to you.

And this past weekend, I definitely chose correctly.

But you bet I’m going to be paying for it this week…ehh, it was worth it.

 

11 comments

Cameon November 3, 2014 - 12:10 pm

Oh how this is SO true! Especially when your spouse’s love language is quality time. WHY can’t it be something like Acts Of Kindness or Physical Touch or something simple? Lol.

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dojo October 4, 2014 - 2:36 am

Dragging yourself to do something, when you clearly can’t do it properly, is not a good idea. Just take a bit of time off, relax and then you’ll work and focus better. I also do this, when it looks like I can’t do decent work, I just put it off for few hours/a day and then get back to it with renewed energy and focus

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Sanibel October 2, 2014 - 8:22 am

Good for you to recognize what was more important. You’ll look back and remember these memories much more than you would have ever remembered sitting in front of the computer.

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holly@clubthrifty.com October 1, 2014 - 5:41 am

I can relate. It is hard to live a real life when you have so many side hustles going on! I usually choose to do the fun stuff and pay for it later.

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NZ Muse September 29, 2014 - 8:11 pm

Same boat, sister. Freelance work is up, so is everything else. Had to move things back last week due to family death, but reaaaally need to get ahead this week. Hustlers unite.

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Tonya@Budget and the Beach September 29, 2014 - 7:47 pm

You sound like me when it comes to Feb when I need to do my freelance taxes. I can find a million other things I can/need to do. Whenever that comes up, I drop the lowest common denominator of things that “need” to be done.

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icejules2@hotmail.it September 29, 2014 - 11:21 am

I understand you, I am handling 3 jobs at same time and tryong to have a good work-life balance, but probably it happens also because we know that Summer is ending and soon we’ll spend a lot of time indoor, so we must only decide how spend our “free time” but isn’t always simple, but I am sure you did and you’ll do right choiches

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Erin @ Journey to Saving September 29, 2014 - 10:29 am

“Maybe it’s just making sure you choose what’s most important to you.” I love this sentence! There’s a time and place for everything like homework and freelancing, but sometimes, you just need to relax with loved ones. I’m always mindful that I have a finite amount of time to dedicate to everything, and that my family isn’t going to be around forever. It makes it easy for me to prioritize them.

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cece September 29, 2014 - 8:49 am

I don’t even know how people go to school and work. Plus the blogging/freelancing? No wonder your balance is feeling off. I don’t blame you for choosing fun over the grind. You will just have to buckle down like you said and get ‘er done!

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Jessica September 29, 2014 - 7:44 am

I went through the same feelings recently. I have my day job, my school work, in the middle of a home purchase and I am …9? months pregnant with my SECOND child. I found myself having anxiety and forgetting my poor husband and son. I decided to sit down and see what I could handle and what I had to let go. SO after one long Saturday I wrote all 3 final papers for this quarter and took the next one off. I spoke up at work and my two temps (yes they needed two to cover my job) started today. The house and my family were my priorities and I feel soooo good about setting those straight 🙂

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SavvyFinancialLatina September 29, 2014 - 7:09 am

I have also been enjoying life more than worrying about blog work. This is what happens during the summer.

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