Ha! Where did this phrase come from? Work-Life Balance was a phrase coined in the 1970's-1980s and everyone from mothers, fathers, singles, and couples have been trying to chase it ever since.
As women, we struggle with the myth of work/life balance. We chase after something we hear and think we see we can attain. Do not be fooled. There is never a balance. Each day brings it's own set of challenges and due to this, there will always be something which needs to take priority in each moment.
Imagine yourself with two, three, maybe four children. On any given day, can you imagine that you give each child the exact amount of time than the others? No! Why not? Because each child has different needs on each day. Imagine child #1 has no homework, child #2 needs help studying for a test, child #3 is playing contentedly, while child #4 needs to be nursed. It is easy to look at the situation and say, "Ok, Child #2, grab your study sheet and meet me at the couch so that we can go over the material while I nurse Child #4." Each child requires a different amount of time each day just as your job, time with family, and social life requires different amounts of time. For some, this may be labeled as a "juggling act" but as Mercy Lokulutu spoke about in the Propel Leadership Series headed up by Christine Caine, juggling is something that requires coordination.
There is no way I want to be juggling my children, husband, work, friends, etc. Instead, Mercy says she prefers to call it "cradling."
Instead of believing a myth of work-life balance, we should determine to, instead, choose priorities in our life that we will focus on. Too many priorities and we are in danger of definitely "dropping" stuff (we definitely do not want it to be family). Pick three things to cradle and embrace these things when it is appropriate. It does not mean that when we go to work, we stop being mothers or wives. Instead, we need to embrace it all and pray to God as to what we need to prioritize each week, each day, each moment, in order to finish our days well and strong within His will.
Give us some of your tips as to how you embrace your life with your family and other responsibilities.