Live Deliberately: Work/Life Integration

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” -Seth Godin

As I was preparing for this week's post, a friend shared this quote on his social media. It couldn't have come at a better time.

I would like to talk about part of my life that doesn't have the best language to describe it. But I am going to try. When I was working in the staffing industry we referred to "Work/Life Balance." But I wanted something very different.

I wanted "Work/Life Integration." 

There may be some other more elegant ways of saying it:

• Harmony
• Rhythm
• Life Balance

The French have a philosophy that no one aspect of your life should overshadow or eclipse any other aspect of your life.

An issue of Life Magazine from 1968 quoted writer and counterculture personality Paul Krassner as saying:

"Some anthropologist said that one definition of happiness is to have as little gap as possible between your work and your play." 

This is the philosophy that I want to live by. 

Our current American culture suggests that we can "have it all" but then villainizes the individuals who try to do just that. Working mothers are told they are neither providing the best care for their children nor performing at peak levels in their careers. If they do one they must be lacking in the other.

It is similar to the argument that someone has "too much time on their hands." We have glorified the act of "being busy." Accomplishments no longer speak for themselves. We judge our relationships by everyone's level of busy-ness. We talk about people in terms of being workaholics or married to their jobs. This kind of work/life imbalance can destroy families. 

It doesn't have to be like that.

I am not too busy when I am doing something I love. I don't have too much time on my hands when I go out for a beer at 3pm. I am in control of my time. I write when I write and I enjoy it as much as I enjoy every other aspect of my life. And since moving into the tiny house and embracing deliberate living I enjoy everything from laundry and dishes to spending time with friends and meeting with clients.

I don't like the concept of a "Job." My job isn't writing. Rather, I am a writer. It is part of my life. It is who I am.

I believe that work/life integration is an important part of the Live Deliberately philosophy. My journey to get here led to me being self employed which works great for my lifestyle. There are countless ways to make this happen for yourself. And that is the key: "Yourself." This is a very personalized philosophy and only you can change your life.

How can you integrate your work and your life?