Before digital began to fully engulf how we conduct business, there was this philosophy of work/life balance: keeping work at work, and keeping home stuff at home. This philosophy declared that 9 AM-5 PM Monday-Friday was dedicated to the office, and anything before and beyond that strictly belonged to you: family responsibilities and outings, life events, etc.

When digital engulfed business almost as quickly as COVID-19 engulfed the planet, the work/life balance concept began to tremble, and work/life harmony began to be embraced, i.e. incorporating work into the rest of life in such a way that happiness is achieved both at home and in the office.

I was introduced to the work/life harmony philosophy through my former CEO’s analogy of caring for his young daughter at night. It’s an analogy I actually live regularly today as my two-year-old son is predominately tube fed, with his last feed of the day starting sometime between 10:30-11 pm (per his specialists). Once he’s asleep, I make sure he’s positioned well enough for me to hook up the G-tube extension, apply whatever medication he needs, connect his formula bag and hit the “start” button on the pump. With his pulse/ox monitor and baby monitor right next to each other, I’m usually able to leave his room and do whatever it is I need or want to do. That can be anywhere from straightening up the living room or cleaning the kitchen and emptying the sink of dirty dishes or folding laundry. I may read a book, watch a show, movie, soccer or hockey game, or even having a beer or two. Typically it’s a combination of all of those: folding laundry while watching the game on the TV and trying a new Bordeaux, or loading the dishwasher and cleaning off the stovetop while listening to a podcast or watching a show on the phone with a glass of one of Troeg’s IPAs close by, while still returning upstairs periodically to make sure everything is still connected and working properly. When I hear the pulse/ox go off or the sound of the pump finishing up, all vices are shut down and it’s back to being a good dad to finish everything up and make sure he digests everything ok.

So let’s consider the two philosophies simply based on what we call them.

When we think “work/life balance”, we want to think, again, of keeping work at work and out of our lives at home. That sort of mentality, to a certain degree, carries with it a negative connotation of the work we’re doing. It’s almost like we’re in a relationship that we need to survive, but that it’s so bumpy a relationship that we need extreme boundaries, i.e. established “us” time and “me” time. The problem with balance is that there is no room left for the growth or development that relationships need to survive.

Work/life harmony is that imperfect relationship at peace with its imperfection that continues to push towards growth. It strives to compromise while working hard towards the same desired outcome while growing deeper in the relationship.

Whether or not you’re seeking one or the other, there are two things you need to be prepared to do: make sacrifices and build upon relationships at work.

Take the example of caring for my son. What’s the moral of that analogy? That multitasking is a fresh must-have, and it is possible to harmonize work and leisure. You just need to prioritize and be aware and willing to stall or sacrifice comfort or vices.

The second thing is to build relationships with the people you work with. Be open to being vulnerable and sharing your story and receptive to their stories. Building those relationships is a frequent reminder to you, your co-workers and superiors that you are not just your job title: you are human both inside and outside the office. You carry your own baggage, emergencies happen, and you have priorities beyond the shop doors. The relationships you build will only generate the right compassion to help you manage that baggage and be supportive when new priorities or emergencies arise, while also allowing you all to discover new doors towards further career-and relationship–development.

Like many of the hiring practices still exercised today, the work/life balance philosophy is a dinosaur still barely clinging to life in our expectations of work and life. Thanks to the engulfment of digital technology in our lives and the world-changing trauma brought about by the pandemic, maybe it’s finally time to let that philosophy become extinct, and for each of us to identify the work we actually want to bring into our own lives, and work our asses off to make that harmony grow.

*Note: There are certainly some occupations that most would probably prefer to be left at the office, i.e. those in law enforcement or emergency services, where the home needs to be one of many sanctuaries away from what they deal with every day. I tip my hat and open my heart with nothing but love for what you do for your fellow man every day.