Neflix Co-Founder Teaches Kentucky Woman a Lesson in Work/Life Balance
Trying to maintain a work/life balance is difficult to do. Our jobs and careers demand so much of our time. It's hard to prioritize what's expected at work, what you would like to do for yourself, and what you have to do for your family. There just aren't enough hours in the day.
I have many regrets about how I spent my time when my kids were younger and my relationship with my second husband was new. After my divorce, I was lucky enough to fall into a dream career. I had lots of hopes and dreams about my future and how far I would be able to go.
As I was doing everything that was asked of me in the hopes that I would go as far in my career as my gifts and talents would take me, I didn't realize how much family time I was sacrificing for my job.
Now, my goals and dreams for how far I want to go and what I want to be doing in my career have fizzled. And, my kids are all grown up. Sometimes it feels hopeless and like time has run out.
I blame myself for allowing such an imbalance to happen in the first place. I was overachieving thinking that would help me get ahead. There is nothing wrong with that, if you also overachieve for your family, too.l
I can't get that time back with my family, any more than I can I change all that I did, and over did, to try and advance my career. There are no do-overs. Time is precious and it is a commodity you should protect.
After reading a social media post, a shift has happened in my priorities. No longer am I going to let my job rule my life. I am finding a balance between doing my best at work and doing my best for my growing family, many of whom live out of town. I can't get back the unbalanced time that I lost, but I can make the future better for me, my family, and my work.
If only I would have read this post on Linkedin from the Co-Founder of Netflix, I would have come to this understanding before now.
Marc Randolph describes his definition of success and it isn't all about work. It's more about making time for work, and doing what needs to be done but also making time for your family. Time and place where work can't go.
I’ve worked hard, for my entire career, to keep my life balanced with my job. In my book, I write about my Tuesday date nights with my wife. For over thirty years, I had a hard cut-off on Tuesdays. Rain or shine, I left at exactly 5 pm and spent the evening with my best friend. We would go to a movie, have dinner, or just go window-shopping downtown together.<br /><br />Nothing got in the way of that. No meeting, no conference call, no last-minute question or request. If you had something to say to me on Tuesday afternoon at 4:55, you had better say it on the way to the parking lot. If there was a crisis, we are going to wrap it up by 5:00.<br /><br />Those Tuesday nights kept me sane. And they put the rest of my work in perspective.<br /><br />I resolved a long time ago to not be one of those entrepreneurs on their 7th startup and their 7th wife. In fact, the thing I'm most proud of in my life is not the companies I started, it’s the fact that I was able to start them while staying married to the same woman; having my kids grow up knowing me and (best as I can tell) liking me, and being able to spend time pursuing the other passions in my life.<br /><br />That’s my definition of success.
Marc is not only the Co-Founder of Netflix but an entrepreneur, mentor, and investor. Even with all that, he makes his wife and kids just as important of a priority as he does his career, jobs, and ventures.
That is true success. And, don't forget some time for yourself, too. Balance means that things are ae equal. That balance is where you will find inner peace and mindfulness.
Find more work/life balance tips, HERE.
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