• Running

    You can learn a lot about how people approach their careers by looking at how they approach their hobbies. Running is such an important part of my life that I have created a separate blog for it, Predawn Runner. Whether you are recreational or competitive, I welcome you to join me there in discussing how we fit running into an already-full life.

Cogitation across the Nation

By Greg | Published: February 25, 2010

I have recently been honored by having the opportunity to guest post on some blogs of particular interest to me due to their focus on topics that are important in my life.  Please take a moment to not just skim over the posts that interest you, but visit the blogs and consider adding them to your reading list, as they have some top quality content.

The Lean Startups Blog – One of the leading blogs in the “real world” startup arena, Apollo Sinkevicius cuts to the chase with his views of what it takes to run a successful startup.  This post discusses lean marketing strategies for startups and small businesses, emphasizing the importance of starting good habits early, establishing a customer-focused message, and driving consistency in not just image but behavior across the organization. My thanks go out to Apollo for the opportunity to contribute.

The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) Blog – As an exhibitor in the biggest and most significant manufacturing show in the world, I have a particular interest in executing a successful event.  This post discusses the process of selecting what to exhibit at such a major show and how to go about making it memorable for your visitors. Look for potential future posts I may submit to this blog, as the show planning process continues. Special thanks to Lee Anne Orange for inviting me to join the bloggers for IMTS.

The Be More Productive Facebook Fan Page – Claudine Motto is a productivity coach who is full of useful advice, and I have a particular passion for finding ways to get more done in a day.  In an interview on her fan page, we discuss using Microsoft Outlook as a task management system.  In a related post on this blog, I share some helpful advice Claudine has provided on better prioritizing some of my tasks. I am grateful to Claudine for our ongoing dialog on new ideas and the opportunity to share some of my Outlook techniques.

Career Life Connections – Leanne Chase has made a business out of helping people cope with work / life challenges, and I was happy to have the opportunity to share my view on making smart sacrifices as part of your work / life strategy.  Leanne and I have discussed before how erroneous it can be to think of it as “balance” (because it never is), so I fastidiously attempt to avoid using that word (I hope I succeeded?).  There are a lot of great stories on the blog, and Leanne has some unique experiences of her own, so I feel humbled to have the opportunity to contribute to such an important dialog.

I’m happy to guest post on other blogs covering topics related to Constant Cogitation, so please let me know if you have the need for a new perspective.

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  • Claudine Motto
    Greg,

    Looking forward to reading more of your posts, everywhere!

    And how funny that you have avoided the word balance and I used it in my comment to you on Leanne Chase's blog. I think the error in using the word balance is in the assumption that balance must mean equal effort and focus between life and work (and all the other things in between). When in reality, all balance really is is about is making time for what's important - for some, that may be mostly work, for others, mostly family - and in some cases all work or all family. So, out of balance for one person may be perfectly "balanced" for another.

    I believe that knowing what that "ideal" balance is for us, and striving to get back to that balance is part of what can help keep us content and feeling grounded while we're making sacrifices to fit the realities of life.

    Claudine
  • Hi Claudine,
    There are several issues I have with the concept of "balance" in work/life situations. The first is the tendency to look at balance over too finite of a window; one can never have balanced every day, week, month, or maybe even year; life events or work demands tend to flow in cycles. To try and force balance into a period where it just can't exist (say, for example, a death in the family, or a major project at work) creates more stress. One needs to take a longer term view of their working life span and keep the big picture in mind.

    The second is the implication that you can somehow "quantify" your focus on a given area of concern in your life, and the resulting effort to measure this focus. The easiest way is by measuring the time spent on a given priority. But time is a poor measurement of the quality and impact of your efforts, so can lead to a false sense of balance or, even worse, imbalance. I know a great many people who work longer hours than I do, yet are less focused and productive during that time so are less effective at their jobs. Similarly, I'm sure there are many people that spend a lot of time with their family but have their mind on work, and that too results in less "efficient" time.

    I don't have an issue with the idea of balance in addressing your priorities. I just think that the term oversimplifies the challenge. And you are correct in stating that "balance" does (and should) mean different things to different people; what I might consider an unbalanced life may be perfectly appropriate for someone else (though there are certainly extremes that show a clear lack of balance).

    Greg
  • Greg,

    All great points. When I use the term balance I am assuming the "best" - that if someone is spending time with their kids in an attempt to be more balanced, they are really "present" during that time; that there's a calmness, an "acceptance" of what needs to be done now (i.e., sacrifices) until things can get more on track to the ideal (whatever that may be).

    But I agree that if those "best" conditions are not present (and unfortunately, more often than not, they probably aren't - and why, as you state, the term can oversimplify the challenge), just putting in time creates only an appearance of balance, and if there isn't an acceptance that things are OK as they are even when not in balance because that's just the way life is, that can create a great deal of stress.

    Thank you for making me think about these assumptions - they're important to keep in mind.

    Claudine
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