Clearing the Leadership Fog: Work-Life Balance is a Mirage
On a recent flight home from a conference in Florida I spotted a fellow traveler absorbed in reading, “Build the Life You Want”. And my first thought: great - another leader trying to bolt a “balanced life” together with nothing but a self-help manual and optimism.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most high performers are juggling work and life instead of designing either one. The result? A constant low‑grade fog. (And no, airport lattes do not count as sunlight.)
A Swimmer, Some Fog, and a Half-Mile Miss
Flashback to 1952, marathon swimmer Florence Chadwick dives off Catalina Island, determined to be the first woman to cover the 21 chilly miles to California. Fifteen hours in, she’s frozen, exhausted, and thanks to pea‑soup fog, convinced land is nowhere near. She asks to be hauled into the boat. Turns out the shore was less than half a mile away. Later she said, “If I’d seen the shore, I’d have made it.”
Leaders do the same thing. We thrash in circles because we can’t see the beach, our clear vision of the life we actually want.
Three Quick Defoggers
Toss the Trash - List everything that drains you: late‑night emails, zombie‑level Zooms, that committee that meets simply to schedule the next meeting.
Name the Nourishers - What lights you up? Midday yoga, geek‑out lunches with friends, finishing work while it’s still daylight? Jot them down.
Put It on the Calendar - Vacations don’t magically appear, book them. Dinner dates? Send the invite. Hobbies? Sign up today, even if you’re terrible (especially if you’re terrible).
The Real Goal
Forget “balance,” it sounds like a Cirque du Soleil stunt nobody asked for. Aim for clarity. When you can see your shore, you’ll swim straighter, stop less, and maybe even enjoy the water.
So ditch the fog, dump what you don’t want, and schedule what you do. Leadership isn’t about staying afloat, it’s about knowing exactly where you’re headed and making the swim count. Now, go block that vacation week before someone schedules another status call.