Rajesh’s series of posts on "Vision and Worries" offered some interesting insights on the subject of Work Life Balance.  A link on that post led me to Brad Feld’s excellent essay on his quest for the "equilibrium".  Some excerpts :

The challenge of “work life balance” is a central theme for many people, especially entrepreneurs.  It took me 15 years, a failed first marriage, and my current wife (Amy Batchelor, Wellesley Graduate) almost calling it quits for me to realize that I had to figure out what “work life balance” meant to me.  Today, I can comfortably say that I have a major clue and my life is dramatically better for it.

… until about five years ago, I had absolutely no balance in my life.  I was on the road from Monday to Friday, arriving home exhausted at the end of the day Friday.  Amy got “the dregs” over the weekend – I’d sleep a lot, spend time in front of my computer getting caught up on all the crap I didn’t get to during the week, and when we went out, I’d always be tired and withdrawn.  The burnout cycle continued; every six months I’d completely crash from the effort (I graphically remember a vacation to Hawaii with friends where I slept 20 hours a day for the first four days – so much that Amy thought something was physically wrong with me.)  I drank too much, I struggled with my weight, and I felt physically crappy.  I loved my work, but I couldn’t see past it.

Having spent much of my working life in agencies that believe in serving client needs beyond any one or any thing, I have often experienced, first hand, the way Work and Life mesh to such an extent that it is not possible for many of us to differentiate between the two.  We end up spending almost all of our waking hours at work.  Our friends are from work.  And, so are our enemies.  It’s almost like there is no… eco system… outside of the office!

While I have no failed marriages in my past to boast of, I am only too familiar with the perils of living a life so devoid of any other aspect – spiritual or personal.  Alas, many of my friends (or shall I say, ex friends) are still in that circumstance  and are unable to realize the limitations of the situation they are in.  For such folks, Feld offers some great suggestions that helped him regain his Life back :

As I discovered what balance meant to me, the rules evolved into a set of habits which – among others – include (1) Spend Time Away, (2) Life Dinner, (3) Segment Space, (4) Be Present, and (5) Meditate. 

One Example : Meditate = I use the word meditate metaphorically – everyone should meditate their own way.  Four years ago I became a marathoner – the 6 to 10 hours a week I run is my current form of meditation.  I’m also a voracious reader and the 10 hours a week I read extends my meditation time.  Do whatever you want, but spend some of your time on yourself.

Read the entire essay.  Then, read the comments at the end.  Reading this one page may just turn out to be a life-changing experience for you.