I grew up believing that life had a template you could just plug in to and the outcome could be predicted. I was not alone. The instruction to us was simple – read your books, pass your exams, gain admission into institutions of higher learning, graduate with good grades, get a good job and start your family life.
You may think it sounds too good to be true but I am happy to tell you that for the generation before mine, if you obeyed the rules, the outcome was almost predictable. That was before opportunities became fewer and competition became stiffer. Things are not that simple anymore. Times have changed.
Perhaps you are wondering what this has got to do with work-life balance, I’ve been meaning to say that work-life balance should be taught earlier in life to make it a way of life. I remember how parents made it seem like children who were athletic or sports loving were not as serious as their peers who spent all their time in the classroom and library. Playtime was made to look like unnecessary distraction. That was then, not anymore.
To succeed and remain successful in the 21st century, you need more than good grades and competence on your job. Giving all your productive life to your job may haunt you at the most critical moment. You also need to invest your time on yourself, your family, your spirituality, your community and you need to nurture your relationship with people.
Don’t mistake activity for diligence. You can be super active on your job but still inefficient in the management of your time. Outside your job, what other things give you pleasure? Within the twenty four hours that each day presents, you will soon find out that investing quality time in things that are of interest to you enhances your productivity on your job.
Sometimes, the self-employed erroneously think that work-life balance does not apply to them because they have control over their time. This has been proven wrong. Some business owners abuse their time even more than their employees. I have seen people pour their lives into work with a dream to travel round the world when they retire but tomorrow never came.
Work-life balance is not limited to the work environment as we sometimes believe. Any activity you disproportionately invest your time in at the expense of other life essentials affects your work-life balance. Except you are a clergy, spending all your time in the church when you should be working does not balance life. Faith without work is dead. Except you are an entertainer, if you play more than you work, you will soon find out that your life is not balanced.
Whether you are a corporate worker, business owner or a young man or woman who has just started to build a career, don’t see playtime as a waste of time. I did not appreciate how valuable play was until I met a Play Therapist in a hospital. She is a qualified nurse who had degrees and several certifications in Play Therapy. Her job is to play with children who are about to undergo medical procedures. She is paid to play. I found it amazing.
Don’t wait till your old age before you start learning how to balance life. Every aspect of life counts. The greatest achievers are those who find themselves at the top of the pyramid of Abraham Maslow’s Motivational Theory. Self actualisation speaks to a purpose-driven life, it speaks to the pursuit of meaning, creativity, personal growth and inner joy. You may find some of these in your day job today but definitely not all.
Be intentional. Thank God it’s Monday.
©️Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
19 January 2026.
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