Balance Your Way Through the Downturn

I am so tempted to gloat. But I won't (OK, maybe just a little). Instead, I will simply quote and let you draw your own conclusions.

As anyone who has seen me talk or read my blog knows, I have been arguing for years that work and life are not opposites; rather, one must have both to achieve more of either. Being too "one sided" is dangerous, and will actually drive down one's productivity. As I preach this mantra, and look into the eyes of my audience, I can see people want to believe this, yet struggle to believe it. "Isn't work supposed to be hard?" they seem to ask. "How can it be possible for me to get more done and be having a good time?"

All of which is why (and I'm really trying not to gloat here) I was jolted awake today when I read an article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal today, touting the dangers of being "Addicted to Success" (see link). I don't actually like the title of the article, because it implies that success is somehow a bad thing, and I vehemently oppose that notion. I think success is a good thing, but as with any good thing (like nuclear power) there are both good and bad ways to be successful. But as anyone who tries to write about "work-life balance success" knows, our language and culture make it hard to separate success from obsession. In our culture, success is only achieved through obsession. If you're not obsessed, then you are a wimp or a loser or a quitter or whatever.

So for a completely refreshing view of success, let me offer a couple of choice quotes from today's Wall Street Journal article:

The deepening recession is exacting punishment for a psychological vice that masquerades as virtue for many working people: the unmitigated identification of self with occupation, accomplishment and professional status.

Tanslated that means if you live to work, the recession is going to kick your butt. Note, too, how they call work obsession a vice. Here's another one:

Over-identification with work is one of many culprits in the epidemic of recession-related anxiety and depression that mental-health providers are reporting. But...the identity dilemma is within the individual's power to address, requiring no lender mercy or stroke of job-hunting fortune.

Translated this means even if you are a work-a-holic, the recession doesn't have to kick your butt unless you choose to let it.

So what's the cure? This was where I started to gloat:

To disassociate identity from professional status, therapists recommend taking pride in characteristics that can't be stripped away -- virtue, integrity, honesty, generosity. They also recommend investing more time and pride in relationships with family, friends and community.

And how does all this "reduction in anxiety" psych-speak impact bottom line business success? This was where I whooped out loud:

Of course, obsessive attention to work can breed success. But therapists say that adding some balance tends to help rather than hurt performance, in part by reducing pressure.

So there you go. Direct from psychologists who do this for a living: if you want to be more successful, look to balance.

Maybe I'm not crazy after all, thinking that if I balance my "life" it will actually improve my "work." Or if I am crazy, then it's a more successful kind of crazy. I'll take that any day.