Here's What Jeff Bezos Prefers to Work-Life Balance and Why You Should Live By It Work-life balance naively suggests working and non-working hours should be evenly apportioned.
By John Boitnott Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Amazon is known for building a culture that values hard work. So much so that the organization has received criticism from current and former employees for having to work on Thanksgiving, or even when ill.
When asked about Amazon's work-life balance, Jeff Bezos remarked that he ascribed to the phrase "work-life harmony" instead.
Here's how hard-charging businesspeople can maintain energy at home and at work without burning out by finding work-life harmony in place of work-life balance.
Related: Work-Life Balance Is Simple. To Succeed at Work, Get a Life.
Measure work and home focus as a matter of energy instead of time.
It isn't about how many hours you spend at home or at work; it's about the energy you bring to both parts of your life. If you enjoy working long hours, and that helps you to feel present while at home, then by all means continue.
This is a fundamental principle in Bezos's theory of dividing one's time between work and life. Because Bezos loves what he does, he finds energy from accomplishing his work in a manner that works well with his notoriously high standards.
As many can attest, our emotions bleed into all areas of our life. When you can gain energy from doing good work, it can help to propel you to be more successful in your life outside of work. Conversely, when things aren't right at home, it can be difficult to find the energy to do your best work in the office. A central precept of work-life harmony is living such that both the professional and personal aspects of our life energize us to be our best at home and in the office.
This does not necessarily mean that we should spend our time in a balanced way, as the phrase "work-life balance" implies. Rather, we should spend our time in such a way that we are our best selves. In so doing, we will be better people on the whole.
Related: Adopt These 12 Habits for a Better Work-Life Balance
Build a flexible work-life schedule.
Just as different people will amass different levels of energy from work and life outside of work, different people will find they are most productive at different times of the day. The 9-5 work culture that has existed for decades is really shifting now. Most modern offices allow some form of flexible work, which means you have the ability to set your own hours to some degree.
Experiment with working at different times of the day to find the schedule the helps you to be most productive. In so doing, you'll have more time to do your best work, and more energy to spend with loved ones as a result of increased productivity.
Related: From Work-Life Balance to Work-Life Integration– The New Way Forward
Know when to say "no."
We tend to think that taking on as many projects as possible is a sign of a good professional. But being busy is not the same as making an impact. To do your best work, you'll need to prioritize projects that you know you can add value to.
Spinning your wheels is demoralizing. Look for projects in which you can easily enter a "flow state" where hours melt away. This is the environment in which you are doing your best work, and are happy to be doing the work itself. It is in moments of flow that we often feel most productive, and even fulfilled. Therefore, it is after moments of flow that we tend to feel guilt-free about enjoying quality time with loved ones while unplugging from work.
Related: The Happiest People Know Their 'Flow State.' What's Yours?
Communicate commitments.
If you're approaching a time-consuming work project, communicate that to the important people in your life. Otherwise, they may think you are avoiding them due to a more insidious reason.
Providing those you love with a glimpse into your professional commitments can also help them to help you. If a good friend knows it will be difficult for you to communicate for a few weeks, they will know to pause conversations so as not to burden you with having to reply to texts or emails.
Similarly, a partner who knows that you are responsible for delivering an important project may be able to rearrange their schedule in order to better support you in the short term.
Conversely, if family commitments will prevent you from working at full capacity for a certain period of time, set the right expectations with colleagues. A good workplace is one that is flexible to the realities of employees' personal lives. Managers who care about the well-being of their people are usually willing to help employees take care of personal commitments.
Related: I Started Saying 'No' to These 6 Things. My Life and My Business Got a Lot Better.
Adapting to a changing work life.
Work no longer happens between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM, Monday to Friday. Work happens Saturday mornings, and late Friday nights. It happens on vacation, and during graduations. The idea of work-life balance suggests that there should be an even split between working and non-working hours.
In reality, those who have undertaken ambitious careers should aim for work-life harmony, a lifestyle in which both aspects of life give you the energy to be your best self as frequently as possible.
