(2-minute read)

The term work-life balance is so overused it's absurd. There's no job ad without the term "work-life balance" in it, and "flexible working". But I feel that people writing those ads are either copy/pasting or have no idea what they are writing at all.

We have a ping pong table!

...so what!? 🤷‍♂️🤣

And you will get your own laptop for your work!

-- Of course, I will, how else would I complete my work?

And there's a Playstation in the break room!

-- Oh, well, now you got me. I'm coming right over, and I'll work overtime without pay because you have a PlayStation!

In the last two years I've been approached by a digital bank company (I'm not going to promote them) for a position a few times, from their various departments, and every time we didn't come to an agreement due to their lack of understanding of the term "flexible working".

For them "flexible working" means that you can come into work whenever you want between 8-9 in the morning 🤣 I shit you not, that's what they've said. My response was "that's London commute", but ok...

My main negotiation point when talking to a potential client or employer is remote work whenever I decide, so I can have better work-life integration. They've said that they don't offer remote work, and I have to come to the office, where I'll be managing a distributed team from all over Europe.

So, you want me to come to your office, commute 2h every day, so I could work remotely with my team what is not in the same office?

"Yes, but they are also in our offices in Europe".

I was just baffled. Thanked them politely and told them to give me a call when they arrive into 2020 like their App that half of the planet is using.

That conversation was two weeks before lockdown. Their recruiter sent me an email month later that "They've reconsidered my offer, and are now willing to allow me to work remotely" 🤣 Now that everyone is at home an has to work remotely they've RECONSIDERED.... And will ALLOW me... hahahahah... LOL... 🤣 Nope! Byeeee!

Work-Life Integration!

I've never had a clear-cut boundary where my work stops, and my life begins. That's probably one of the main reasons why I chose the freelance and business career path.

Whatever I'm doing, or was doing at some point in my life, does not stop at 5 pm. I don't stop being a designer just because I've finished a project, or clock says so. I don't stop being a comedian just because I'm not on stage.

But that also does not mean that I work all the time, but my work is an integral part of who I am and affects how I arrange my schedule. And I make sure that things I do for money, and everything else I do blends together so I can enjoy life now, not wait for that magical retirement when I'm old, so I could do things I want to do now.

This attitude towards life and career allowed me, for example, to travel to Belgrade in Serbia last year to speak at a conference, from where I flew to Turkey to meet with my wife in Antalya and spend few days of sun in October. All the while working with my team and moving forward on my project.

Because I want to do this now, not when I'm 65.

If you want to do something similar, or whatever you want to do, you have to make it a priority and build everything else around it.

Cheers.

T.

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psssst... thanks for sharing! :) I really appreciate it!