The Perpetual Challenge of the Work-Life Balance: How to Find the “Sweet Spot”

Published On January 29, 2018

An article from a senior Iron Mountain leader about work-life balance.

We often feel pressured by family, friends and society to live in a certain way, which could be labeled as ideal. However, a making an effort to shift the paradigm allows us to learn to listen to our hearts and our spirit, leading us to believe that we are on the right path. Designing a life that reflects creativity, passion and authenticity will help you create the best paths to achieve your dreams.

We have to make decisions, decide what to do with our life, career, lifestyle, but that necessarily implies consequences. When those decisions are carried out, it can create a level of personal satisfaction that goes beyond our well-being, or that, in some circumstances, can be configured into an ideal place or time in life – the so-called “sweet spot.”

The key is, then, to seek a balance among the many aspects of our life. I think it is impossible to maintain the permanent balance on these various areas, but we must vigorously fight for this balance. Finding it out is one of our greatest challenges and, although it depends solely on us, pleasure always gives way to obligations. Therefore, changing small habits and behaviors can help achieving life balance, which is the first step towards achieving the sweet spot.

There are several proposals to achieve this moment through life balance. I believe that in order to reach this sweet spot peak, I must look for a balance between three dimensions: passion, purpose and love, although this is not a rule for everyone. Connecting passion for life, work and learning with the sincere purpose of seeking happiness and helping others to be happy, and loving everything you do, can’t ensure that you’ll reach the ideal point in life, but it contributes to a great extent to it.

The connection to these three dimensions is the key. The small area where they intersect is life’s sweetest point, the law that legends are made, the state of magical flow that human beings desire and dream. By adding love as this third dimension, to find your vocation and happiness, we complete the recipe. However, this point is ideal precisely because it can’t last forever.

There are times that we have to throw everything away and then work to replace it all, structure and organize our lives and take ownership of everything that is ours. More than that, it is important to inculcate life with purpose by connecting passion and love, because only then we can reach the desired peaks of happiness. Much of this appropriation and joy come from our own internal perspective on how we choose to see things in our daily lives, with the goal of achieving a state of lasting achievement, which allows us to feel that we are living our lives to the fullest. So I think we should do the things we really love, things that bring us joy.

Healthy attitudes and habits help us find a sense of balance. Therefore, for example, by avoiding becoming a slave of oneself or getting rid of excesses, you can focus on what is important, such as family and friends. But remember: the sweet moment in life is achieved through the balance between what you think and do and the way you do it.