View more from News & Articles or Primerus Weekly

By Nick Kacher

I am going to write three words that will likely cause a reaction in you.  For some these three words will suck you right into this article.  Others will roll their eyes, but still read on.  And still others will shake their head, say they don’t have time, and move on with their day.  Which one will you be?  Let’s find out…here they come...work-life balance!

Finding work-life balance as an attorney may be more difficult than it is for most. We tend to be a high-achieving bunch. We have chosen a career path that can be demanding and arduous.  To make it through law school and succeed in the profession takes hard work and a certain amount of sacrifice.  Demanding billable hour requirements, challenging clients, and complicated cases often lead to an imbalance that is hard to recalibrate.   In these unprecedented times, the issue has been thrust to the front of everyone’s mind because our work life and home life have become one and the same.  We are all navigating the tricky waters of working with spouses, children, roommates and pets all within shouting distance all day long.  Not that any of us would ever shout.

You can search the internet and find thousands of articles on how to achieve a better work-life balance.  With everyone on lockdown, there are new articles every day with tips on how to optimize your home office and working experience. While the specifics change a little from article to article, the gist is generally the same.  Prioritize things, make time for yourself, make time for your family, exercise, unplug, etc.  I am not going to give you more of the same.  I am also not going to tell you why I think work-life balance is important.  If you don’t think it is important and you are happy, who am I to suggest otherwise?  Some take it as a badge of honor to have work dominate their life and they prioritize it above everyone and everything - different strokes for different folks.

For those that do think it is important to at least try to maintain some semblance of balance in their lives, I think I have a good starting point.  Let’s figure out if your work-life balance is out of whack.  After all, the first step to solving a problem is knowing there is a problem.  To identify if you have a good work-life balance ask yourself one simple question, “would I want my child or parent to have a similar work-life balance?”  This question for me cuts to the chase and provides an honest self-evaluation.  Many of us are masters of justifying, excusing, and explaining our own faults away, so let’s frame the question from another angle.  If I would not want a loved one to imitate my own work to life ratio, then why would it be a good choice for my life either? If I would want my child to maintain a better equilibrium someday, then the best thing I can do is to show them how that is done.  Ultimately, actions do speak louder than words.

So, ask yourself that one question, “would I want my child or parent to have a similar work-life balance?”  Really think about it.  Answer yourself out loud.  If the answer is yes…then keep it up! If the answer is no…what are you going to do about it?