How do you balance work and home life?

So…right now, there is no “work life” for me.

Honestly, I feel some defensiveness as I write that. A man’s work tends to be significant in his identity. And the question comes up so often – and quickly – even in casual conversation. “What do you do?” seems to come right after “What’s your name?”. And I haven’t found a succinct way to share the story of “what I do” now – because it’s not a title, it is a story.

But more to the question… I don’t know if balance has ever been my goal for work, home, or life. To me, that feels like a never-ending and very frustrating way to exist. Am I spending enough energy/time/resources on the different areas that are important to me? How can I be sure? And let’s face it, at different points, different situations and people just require more than their “fair share”.

So what is the answer?

This is not something I came up with on my own, but the word / concept that I’ve learned to prioritize over balance is harmony. There’s only one question to consider. Even / especially when things aren’t balancing between home and work, is there harmony in my key relationships? And again, there’s no way to do these things perfectly. But to me, harmony seems more attainable than balance.

And now, I’m reminded of an old song by Sara Groves called How Is It Between Us? I can, to this day, hear my young son’s voice singing along to this one when it would come on the radio at home or in the car. He was just 2 years old when it debuted. That makes me smile.

What about you? Is work/home balance a thing? How do you handle it?