Each month, my friend Bob Borson over at Life of an Architect organizes a growing group of architect bloggers to coordinate a single post on a single topic released simultaneously on a specific day. We call it #ArchiTalks. Read posts from past topics on Google, Twitter and Facebook, by searching for the hashtag #ArchiTalks.
This month, the #ArchiTalks theme is “Work/Life”. Check out the links at the bottom of this post for many more posts from many of my #ArchiTalks friends.
As small firm architects, work/life balance plays a critical role in the success of our businesses, as well as the success of our families.
In Annmarie’s and my case (and I hope it will be the case with many sole proprietor and small firm architects) our work and our life have integrated themselves into one continuous and often wonderful experience. For those who fight this integration, the constant struggle between these two most important roles leads to a failing firm, or worse… a forgotten family.
When work and life are out of balance, it becomes abundantly clear. The result of such an imbalance is stress; and lots of it.
When our attention and intention are appropriately distributed between our firm and our family, stress is reduced. This does not mean, equal time in equal proportion. A proper integration allows each role to take precedent and priority when appropriate or necessary.
Sometimes work gets in the way of life and sometimes, life gets in the way of our work.
Small firm architects have a very difficult time keeping work and life separate. As married business partners with a family, it’s impossible. When working from a home office, and when immersed in the daily activities of our children, attempting to keep work and life separate leads only to disappointment and frustration.
So, how do we keep our stress within a reasonable level for architects? (We need to be realistic here… stress isn’t going away as long as we have clients.) How do we balance our time, efforts and attention between our firm and our family?
Success comes when we stop trying to keep them balanced.
Accepting our work and life as one fully integrated experience allows us to distribute our time appropriately for each. We schedule everything on one calendar. Annmarie’s schedule is side-by side with my schedule and our kids’ schedules are distributed among all the other most critical dates.
If it’s important enough to stress over, then its important enough to schedule. Our client meetings, project deadlines, school plays and doctor appointments are all listed side-by-side.
Allowing work hours into our personal time (evening meetings) gives us the permission to allow our personal time into our work hours (not missing my kids’ swim meets).
Living a balanced life is not easy. It’s like balancing an elephant on a beach ball.
It’s not about equal time every day or sacrificing one for the other. It’s about being intentional and living the life we choose to live. It’s about being productive and efficient with our work, so we will have time to do the things that truly matter most.
Question: Have you integrated your work and your life?
photo credit: visionshare via photopin cc
Visit All My #ArchiTalks Friends
Bob Borson – Life of An Architect (@bobborson)
Work | Life – Different Letters, Same Word
brady ernst – Soapbox Architect (@bradyernstAIA)
Brady Ernst – Family Man Since 08/01/2015
Marica McKeel – Studio MM (@ArchitectMM)
Work/Life…What an Architect Does
Lora Teagarden – L² Design, LLC (@L2DesignLLC)
#ArchiTalks: Work/life…attempts
Lee Calisti, AIA – Think Architect (@LeeCalisti)
work | life :: dance
Jeff Echols – Architect Of The Internet (@Jeff_Echols)
The One Secret to Work – Life Balance
Daniel Beck – The Architect’s Checklist (@archchecklist)
Work Life Balance: Architecture and Babies – 5 Hints for Expecting Parents
Jarod Hall – di’velept (@divelept)
Work is Life
Anthony Richardson – That Architecture Student (@thatarchstudent)
studio / life
Lindsey Rhoden – SPARC Design (@sparcdesignpc)
Work Life Balance: A Photo Essay
Drew Paul Bell – Drew Paul Bell (@DrewPaulBell)
Work / Life
Collier Ward – Thousand Story Studio (@collier1960)
Work/Life
Eric T. Faulkner – Rock Talk (@wishingrockhome)
Work/Life — A Merger
Rosa Sheng – Equity by Design / The Missing 32% Project (@miss32percent)
Work Life Fit: A New Focus for Blurred Lines
Michele Grace Hottel – Michele Grace Hottel, Architect (@mghottel)
Work Life
Meghana Joshi – IRA Consultants, LLC (@MeghanaIRA)
Architalks: Imbalanced and uninterrupted
Amy Kalar – ArchiMom (@AmyKalar)
ArchiTalks #12: Balance is a Verb.
Michael Riscica – Young Architect (@YoungArchitxPDX)
I Just Can’t Do This Anymore
Stephen Ramos – BUILDINGS ARE COOL (@sramos_BAC)
An Architect’s House
Brian Paletz – The Emerging Architect (@bpaletz)
Father, Husband, Architect – typically in that order
Enoch Sears – Business of Architecture (@businessofarch)
Work Life
Matthew Stanfield – FiELD9: architecture (@FiELD9arch)
Work / Life : Life / Work
Jeremiah Russell, AIA – ROGUE Architecture (@rogue_architect)
what makes you giggle? #architalks
Jes Stafford – Modus Operandi Design (@modarchitect)
Turning Work Off
Tara Imani – Tara Imani Designs, LLC (@Parthenon1)
On Work: Life Balance – Cattywampus is as Good as it Gets
Eric Wittman – intern[life] (@rico_w)
midnight in the garden of [life] and [work]
Sharon George – Architecture By George (@sharonraigeorge)
Work = 1/3 Life
Visit Twitter and search #ArchiTalks for more.
Your business/family is definitely an inspiration. Has it been easier since you moved the practice into your home or are there different challenges?
Great Post!
Michael; Thanks for the comment. The integration is much easier with the home-based virtual studio, but it takes much more discipline to make it happen. With freedom comes responsibility : )
Realizing work is not something other than life, but an integral part of it has been a game changer for me. That and starting to schedule everything. It really helps to set priorities for the moment and not be distracted by what else needs done.