Throw out your work-life balance.

Growing up in this 'adulting' journey, I’ve been hearing people older than me grumble and complain about the demands or work, and for some even school. And it just makes me kinda sad to hear. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wanna invalidate these feelings cos yes I totally get that the hustle isn’t easy at all.

Especially in Singapore where everything is so fast paced, the steep learning curve we face everywhere can take a toll on us. I just can’t help but wonder why it has to be this way. Can there be another reality? One where there are no burnt out millennials dragging their feet to work or school?

Sounds like a tall order, but I believe one step we can take for a start is a simple mindset shift. We have been taught to have a work-life balance. Finding a balance means you have to constantly chase it, and you tire yourself out. So I want to challenge this notion: why not have a work-life integration instead?

For many, work haunts us as email notifications go off during non-working hours. Students are not spared with the constant bombardment of assignments to complete. As a result, rest only has time to squeeze itself into little pockets of time here and there. And this might be a good thing.

You see, even if you’re in hustle season, you still need to take regular breaks to keep going. The reverse is true; staying relaxed all day everyday will not do you any good. It’s sort of a yin-yang relationship; there is work in rest and rest in work.

All that said, I think the best way to be okay with blurring the lines between work and play is to thoroughly enjoy your work that you will willingly do it even if it eats up a lil rest time. Sounds crazy?

Well, I for one don’t believe work is supposed to be a dread. Maybe it’s another topic for another day, but yes my dream is to see as many people as possible thoroughly fall in love with their vocation and the work of their hands. Where work can feel like play and people go about their jobs with a fire in their belly.

So yeah, I have thrown away the idea of work-life balance; it’s no longer in my dictionary. Work and play are all uniquely important parts of life, and I want to live it to the fullest.