Goodbye Work-Life Balance, Hello Work-Life Pendulum: Tips for Equilibrium

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In today’s always-on world, the concept of work-life balance is a myth. Everyone aspires to it, but no one truly achieves it. Behind the veneer of social media, the life and work of a marketing executive is messy—they say that there is no such thing as a “marketing emergency” but still...

As a mother, wife and marketing leader, I’ve accepted that the perfect state of my work and personal lives can’t be described as balance, but rather as a pendulum. Throughout my career, there are periods when I allocate more of my time to work in anticipation of a big product release, campaign launch or event kickoff. At other times I focus my energy on my personal and family commitments. I’ve come to appreciate that I aspire to ensure that my time and mental energy don’t swing so far in one direction that I can’t get back to center. After all, our identities are a mix of our personal and professional selves—the ratio changes as needed and ultimately is up to us.

Over the years, I’ve identified five key tips that bring me personal and professional equilibrium:

1. Be Flexibly Prepared

On the home front, I’m known for being a planner, routinely using Google or Outlook calendars to keep my family on schedule for everything from dinner parties to school events. Professionally, I take a similar approach; I believe that the entire marketing team should understand our strategy, shared objectives and the operational plan to achieve our goals. However, in both situations, we must be able adapt and pivot when circumstances demand it—adjustment is not a sign of poor planning.

2. Know When To Zoom In And Zoom Out

At home that may mean giving your children the leeway to do things their way even if it’s not how you would do it. Save intervention for the moments when they seek guidance or need to make pivotal “one-way door” decisions. Similarly, at work, this means trusting your team. If you’ve hired the best people, the most successful leaders hire people better than them for specific areas of responsibility, then you should give them the space to work their magic. The most results-driven people like to create strategies and execute them, not just implement others’ ideas. But if your team needs support or advocacy to clear a blocker, that’s when you should zoom in.

3. Pause To Enjoy The Moments That Matter

Like many marketing leaders, I tend to set grandiose goals—both at work and in my personal life. However, it’s important to recognize that no one gets to the summit of a mountain without pausing along the way. And many of us often forget that there are some phenomenal views on the journey. At home, that may mean celebrating a personal best even if my daughter doesn’t win a race or regatta. And at work, it means recognizing and sharing your team’s achievement of critical milestones along the way instead of celebrating only the big quarterly or annual target attainment.

4. Don’t Do It Alone

Ask for help. Be vulnerable. I do it all the time at home. At home, my husband and I are one unit. Between us, we are present for our kids and our aging parents. On occasion, I’ve missed a special moment for our daughters, where he represented both of us, and at other times, our roles have been flipped. Although it may be harder to be vulnerable at work, it’s just as important. If things are not on track, be sure to communicate early and ask for help. “One team” is far more than a marketing motto, it requires action. If something is holding you back, don’t struggle alone. Speak up.

And lastly...

5. Give Yourself Grace

As women who have high expectations of ourselves, we tend to be our toughest critics. While it's important to ask, "What could I have done better?" or "Why didn’t I take action?", don't get stuck there. When things feel like they are falling apart, take a deep breath. Reflect on how far you have come. Progress beats perfection every single time.

Author Bio Rekha Thomas, CEO at Path Forward Marketing, provides marketing strategy and fractional executive services to high-growth companies. Read Rekha Thomas' full executive profile here. Find Rekha Thomas on LinkedIn. Visit Rekha's website.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com.