I just came back yesterday from Daytona Beach. Maybe it’s because I had just been with her two weeks before at the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival, but, my time this weekend made me think of Melissa Bret’s song, “Live Where You Vacation” (albeit maybe a derivation -- work where you vacation).
While I did put up a post on the Instagram account for “Now Hear This Entertainment” each of the four days that I was in Daytona Beach, and my laptop was setup, turned on, and at just an arm’s length away in my hotel room (and I did complete tasks such as email and others that didn’t consume hours and hours of time), I was pleased to feel that what I also accomplished was work-life balance.
This is a topic that more and more people talk about nowadays – on the episode of NHTE that will come out on November 7th you’ll even hear me and that guest discuss it – yet I’m not sure how many folks actually make a conscious effort to achieve it, much less understand it.
In theory, work-life balance sounds good, but how does one carry it out?
To me, something like a songwriters festival is a great example. The participants go there, perform their original songs for audiences, make new connections with other songwriters, and perhaps even write a song or two, or at least schedule writing sessions. They might even do a school visit or put on a workshop. But they also take time to smell the proverbial fresh air. For the majority of them, it’s a mini vacation, so there is time to just relax.
My time at a songwriters festival is very similar. While I’m not there to perform, I can spend time with a current client, nurture relationships I have with other music industry folks, do interviews for “Now Hear This Entertainment,” make new connections that could always lead to potential business somewhere, and yes, I too have been known to put on a workshop at such an event. Like this past weekend, my laptop is always set up in my room, powered on, and available to me for whatever I might need to sit down and attend to that can’t wait until I get back. But I too know where the sand and the waves are.
I’ve twice now mentioned having my laptop with me and it goes without saying that my smartphone is always in my pocket. There are times when I even go so far as to bring my tablet with me as well. After all, isn’t that the point of these modern conveniences – so that we don’t have to stay at home, chained to the desk?
It should go without saying that in all of the above instances and more, I always have business cards with me (both for Now Hear This and for the podcast). Just because I might be in shorts, flip flops, and sunglasses doesn’t mean I might not find myself in a conversation that could lead to handing over a card that could lead to the ‘work’ portion of work-life balance.
In a social setting this past weekend I talked to someone who travels extensively, but who has also seen my posts on Instagram. It made it a natural progression for me to hand over a card for the podcast, “for when you’re doing all you’re traveling.”
Air travel is a great time to decide, “Which part of work-life balance do I need to achieve now, catching up on sleep, or a book I’ve been trying to read (for business or pleasure), or, pulling out my laptop and getting some things accomplished so I’m ready to go when we touch down at our destination?”
Only you can ultimately affect what the ratio is, but, remember, the third word in ‘work-life balance’ implies that 90/10 or 80/20 is tipping the scales too much one way and it’s time to reevaluate.
What tips do you have for helping achieve work-life balance? Share them with others in our Facebook group!