Envision. Create. Believe: Real Women Talk About Finding Your Work-Life Balance
We all want to find balance, that stable point between work and family, social and professional, private time and brand exposure. How do we, as women, go about doing this?
There is so much that is expected of us – and we want to have it all. Women are breaking down walls, carrying successful careers and amazing families side by side while finding time to give back to our communities, see out friends, and fit in a #SideHustle for that fun money.
In [amazon template=product&asin=0446576220] there is a beautiful moment where Tony Hsieh is impacted by the words: Envision, create, and believe in your own universe. An “aha” moment in the simplicity of dream, make, do. You can do anything. Don’t ever give up on yourself.
How can we succeed in this as career women?
I reached out to several women making strides and asked: “What does it mean as a woman balancing career, life, and family to envision, create, and believe in your own universe?”
Bree Kelley, a Sales and Marketing Associate at Relational Solutions in Cleveland, OH, said:
Define your goals and make a strategic plan of action to achieve them. [Make] goals that fulfill what you feel is your personal greater purpose and not just that of society or of a workplace. The “universe” isn’t just going to hand you what you want on a silver platter. You need to decide what you want out of life, and do everything you can in your power to achieve it.
Susan Harrison, a former teacher in Boston, MA who recently founded Vāc Communications and hosts #IntegratedChat Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on Twitter, shared:
My whole take on it is this is that society tends to constrain women. We all have wonderful ideas and dreams and wants and needs, but society tends to tie us down in prescribed roles. As women we’re constrained. We’re the caretakers. We’re supposed to be. That’s what we have to do. We get married and we’re supposed to be getting dinner on the table. The ability to not feel guilty while breaking away from those roles is what allows us to follow our dreams.
Lisa M. Hinz, a content marketer and founder of LMHinz Marketing in San Diego, CA said:
One of my favorite quotes is by Walt Disney, who said: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I can tell you that there is no greater responsibility in the world than living the life you imagine. Only you can know exactly what you want and how that looks in terms of bridging or harmonizing your professional and personal worlds into one complete universe. I chose to live in wholeness with myself and dared to envision what my life could be if I wasn’t afraid and could do what I love most – be all of me in all that I do – and believe in my own abilities to make it a reality. For me, [this] means to have the freedom to dream, create, and live a full life because I have the courage to believe in myself.
Erin Miller, a Marketing Coordinator at Adjusters International in the Albany, NY area replied:
For me it takes dreams of what I would like my universe to be, followed by brainstorming, effort, and perseverance for my [dream] universe to become reality. Every aspect of my universe is this from career, to home, to family. You have to have courage because creating universes won’t happen unless you’re brave. With goals, drive, and a good head on your shoulders anyone can make a universe they envision.
