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I’ve been intentionally pursuing a better work-life balance for over 7 years. Throughout that time, my husband and I have found a few somewhat unusual (or at least unpopular) ways to make things easier on ourselves. I want to share them with you today. Not because I think you should do everything like me, but because I hope it sparks some new, creative ways that you can create a better work-life balance for yourself.

That being said, let’s talk about work-life balance a bit. What it is and what it is not.

Work-life balance is not an end-goal that you will one day wake up and have achieved, never to be thought of again.

You may not have caught it, but I just told you that I’ve been working on creating a better work-life balance for myself for over 7 years! Have things gotten better over those years? Yes! Of course they have. I’m better at time management. I’ve gained a lot of clarity around my values. I’m more comfortable saying no. However, life is complex and messy. Things change - you get a promotion at work, you add a child to your family, you take on a new volunteer role - any number of things. Because of that, we have to make peace with the fact that work-life balance is a continuous journey. So, while the things I’m about to share with you work for my family and I right now, they may not always work. And because we’re different people, they may or may not work for you. And that’s okay! Like I said, I want this conversation to spark some creativity and encourage you to think outside of the box when it comes to work-life balance.

Resources play a huge role in work-life balance.

Resources are anything that helps you successfully achieve your various tasks or responsibilities - both at work and outside of work. Things like time, energy, focus, money, social support, etc. Checking things off our to-do list requires that we use some of our limited resources. And because these resources are limited, a key part to creating work-life balance is resource allocation. We have to stop and ask ourselves what is worthy of our resources - our time, energy, and focus - and what is not?

Okay, with all that being said, here’s 5 unusual ways I create a better work-life balance. Perhaps better said, here’s 5 unusual ways I choose to allocate (or not allocate) my resources.

1. Use paper plates

   Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that I love an elaborately set table - complete with beautiful silverware and fine china. However, there are many evenings where I just don’t want to do the dishes.

   Enter paper plates.

   If we have more pressing things to do in the evening than dishes (e.g., dance class, homework, basketball practice, church group, etc.) you better bet that I’m going to cut myself some slack and bust out the paper plates. Better yet, if it’s in the budget, we’ll go out to dinner where I don’t have to cook or clean. Doing dishes drains both my energy (because I really hate it) and time, so we occasionally find ways to simply eliminate it from the to-do list. And I give you full permission to do so as well.

2. Wash all the laundry in one load

   Washers and dryers are beautiful inventions that make doing laundry WAY easier than it used to be. But, we’ve found a way to simplify it even more - wash everything in one load. Not only does it save time because we don’t have to worry about sorting, but by making it so simple we guarantee that everyone in the family can all do it! This started out when we first got married. I noticed that my husband didn’t sort clothes the way that I would. Instead of trying to get him to do it my way, I decided getting the laundry clean was the most important thing. If you’re going to try this, I will say that we occasionally use those color catcher sheets. Also, if something is brand-new or delicate it does get set aside and washed with similar items.

3. Get rid of the TV

   Yep, I said what you think I said - we don’t have a TV in our home. Well, technically we do, but it’s stored in the closet and only gets pulled out for college football game days. This has been a game-changer in our family. It’s been about 5 years since we’ve had a TV in our living room (or anywhere else in the house) and we’ve gained so much from it:

   • More presence with each other and our kids because we’re not distracted

   • More time to engage in more meaningful activities like reading, playing board games, just sitting by the fire and chatting

   • Our kids have learned to entertain themselves in other ways

   • I’m not (and more importantly neither are my kids) being bombarded by commercials making me want to spend money on things I don’t need

   • Family movie nights have become a VERY special treat for each of us

   See how simply sticking the TV in the closet has opened up more resources of time, energy, focus, and money to be spent on more important things? It’s actually pretty cool - unusual, but cool.

4. Serve the same lunch all week long

   I have better things to spend my time on than planning, prepping, and packing my son’s school lunch every single day. So, we’ve simplified this necessary (but time-sucking) activity by operating off of a single weekly menu. On Sunday, I have my son tell me what he would like to eat for lunch during the upcoming week. It’s usually a main dish (e.g., sandwich, soup, or charcuterie), fruit, a yogurt pouch, and a piece of chocolate. Based on that, I get the groceries and then prep and pack it into individual baggies or containers as I’m putting the groceries away. Then each day it’s simply grab-and-go. I don’t have to think about it and I don’t have to spend time preparing things each day - saving my time and energy for something else. This year I’ve even started making a list, posting it on our refrigerator, and having my son pack his own lunchbox each morning based on that list.

5. Limit the number of activities my kids (and I) are involved in

   Finally, we limit the number of activities we are involved in. My kids are currently almost 4 (2 weeks to go!) and 7 years old. Our rule is one activity at a time. So, right now, my daughter is taking dance classes and my son is preparing for basketball season. I’m sure it will change as they get older, but we really try and take a family systems approach when it comes to extra-curricular activities. If you think about it, one family member’s participation in an activity impacts everyone else in the family. For example, when my son played basketball last year it meant that my husband or I had to drive him to practice. It also meant that my daughter spent her evenings at those practices. And we all ended up spending our Saturday mornings at the YMCA. The same goes for my daughter’s dance class or if I were to join a book club.

   It’s not that I’m against extra-curricular activities. As a mother, I would love for my children to master every fine art, instrument, sport, and foreign language out there. However, as a busy working mother I know that we need to set boundaries around these activities. There are only so many resources to go around, so we must be mindful of where we’re spending those resources. We must prioritize what is most important in the current season and then reevaluate periodically.

If you’re interested in creating a work-life balance characterized by simplicity, joy, and beauty, why don’t you start by checking out my Elegant Balance Workbook? In it, I help you define what work-life balance looks like for you and share some tips on creating that balance. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it – Balance doesn’t happen by accident.

What are you waiting for?

Let’s pursue our Elegant Balance together!

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