I’ve been struggling with something that I see in a lot of impact founders.
There’s this venn diagram that you’re supposed to find the overlap of.
Work. Life. Values.
We’re told that if you find work that you love, that is meaningful for you, these circles magically overlap.
You find this sweet spot where everything aligns.
A balance of life outside work, fulfillment in different parts of life, etc.
I find that in impact work that sweet spot doesn’t really exist, it feels like it’s a complete overlap.
Taking work home with you
When your work is so closely tied to your values, and your values are tied to global issues, it’s REALLY hard to leave work at work.
You’re talking about the issues that move you at dinner.
You see clickbait and polarizing takes in your feed.
You see headlines and stories that fuel the fire everywhere.
“The world’s crumbling and you’re sitting there on your phone”
Guilt. Overwhelm. Rinse. Repeat.
It’s exhausting, and I personally feel like I’m not doing enough, but there’s only so much time in the day.
Walking away isn’t an option.
Burning out isn’t either.
So what do you do?
Balance isn’t a noun, it’s a verb
We talk about “balance” like it’s a goal. An end state that we achieve.
A static, perfect place that you get to one day and all is good.
But balance isn’t a noun. It’s a verb.
It’s something you do. A constant series of adjustments to what life gives you.
Tiring, but you need to protect yourself because if you burn out, your mission suffers.
I’m trying more and more to treat “finding balance” as a core part of the work, not just a way to deal with work.
Here’s how I’ve been dealing with this, I hope it helps you too.
The cycle of balance
I don’t have some perfect system for you, but here’s what I’ve been trying lately.
Breathe
I’m trying to take a step back from all the noise.
Constant information, news, and algorithms have been too much.
Taking a step back has allowed me to reconnect with what I actually value, not just give in to the latest clickbait headline.
Curate
There’s a fine line between curating the information I’m exposed to and ignoring things that I don’t like.
I’m trying to see this as following the information (even if it’s bad) that motivates me instead of draining me.
This has also allowed me to focus on what matters and regain my energy, because I’m going to need it.
Act
Taking a breather and curating the right level of information I’m intaking has given me space and energy, now I feel I can act again.
It doesn’t have to be huge swings, even getting off my phone and taking little actions has helped.
One little action I’m taking more of is supporting people who are already doing the work to make the world a better place.
That could be buying consciously, connecting an impact founder to someone I know can help them, or just shouting out a great resource.
If balance is a verb, a constant practice that needs to be prioritized, these three actions have helped me a ton.
I hope they can help you too.
I’m really curious to know if this resonates.
If so, reply back and let me know your experience, I’d love to help support however I can.
