Infinitive’s Post

Owning your work-life balance is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. This isn't just an Infinitive Fundamental—it's a life fundamental. Own your work-life balance. ✓ Understand what needs to get done and do it.  Adjust timelines if it’s too much. ✓ Recognize when you need breaks to recharge. ✓ This isn't just an Infinitive Fundamental—it's a life fundamental. Over my career, I've witnessed a major cultural shift in America's attitude toward work. Infinitive has always been ahead of the curve, especially in the consulting industry. Since day one, balance and flexibility have been our core values. We work to live, not live to work, and I'm proud of how we trust each individual to deliver high-quality work on time while offering ample time off. You are your most valuable resource.  It is on you to make sure you are mentally and physically strong for both the requirements and demands of work... and those of life! However, I've noticed a recent shift, particularly with COVID and the Great Resignation, where people seem to undervalue the gift of work. Work provides responsibility, achievement, and livelihood. Retirement, if not handled well, can lead to boredom and a decline in health due to a lack of purpose. Work fulfills these needs.  Work is an area where you can find purpose in life! At Infinitive, we aim to do interesting, challenging, and meaningful work. We strive to be at the forefront, doing things few have done before and helping our clients improve their businesses. I've heard people question the value of work and the long hours sometimes required. Reflecting on my life, I'm proud of my work achievements, friendships, and shared objectives. While crunch times are hard, they’ve had a positive impact on me precisely because they were challenging. Rarely have I felt my efforts weren't worth it. I derive great personal value from the work we do at Infinitive. I make new friends, do cool work, meet interesting people, and learn daily. Hearing others talk negatively about work makes me appreciate our culture even more. I don't separate work and life. Work is an important aspect of life. Working with great people like you brings me joy and satisfaction and has been a highlight of my life.

Work-life balance is a myth. It’s Sunday evening and most of us are prepping (or thinking, or fretting) about the work-week ahead. The social media tells us we should be drinking 3 litres of water a day, getting 8 hours of sleep, working out 5 times a week, taking care of our macros (and micros!), reading the news, upskilling ourselves, managing personal finances, keeping in touch with friends, maintaining a hobby, and vacationing at least every quarter. And then there are responsibilities - cooking, cleaning / tidying up, taking care of self or children or elderly parents or pets. But time kahan hai? (Where’s the time?) The truth is, on an average day, of the 16 waking hours, most of us spend 9 at work. Another 2 hours in commute (if you’re not working remotely). That’s ~70% of the day gone just in work or for-work activities. The remaining 30% time carries weight of too many expectations. Finding “balance”, therefore, is a lost cause. But there has to be a solution, right? The solution is a changed perspective. Work is life. No, I’m not glorifying corporate slavery. Even if you were an entrepreneur, you’d probably end up spending about the same time running your business, if not more. My perspective is that work is also life happening to us. As we go. As we grow. Same as how the remaining 30% is also life. Without having meaningful work, without a purpose, most people would end up being depressed. I’m not saying this. Research is. (Read up on existential vacuum) A life with a purpose is a life well-lived. Here’s to hoping that each of us finds that purpose in our work.

Having a work-life balance is a myth… Until you know this. 1. Unclear Definition of Personal Work-Life Balance. Few years back when I started my career as a Software engineer, I was not aware of the importance of work life balance. I was not even bothered about it because I am getting paid well. But when I entered into married life and commitment, I understood my responsibilities increase, and I need to dedicate more time to my family and personal well-being. What you can do: Set Clear Boundary: Decide on how many hours you're comfortable working, how much time you want to spend commuting, and what quality time with your family looks like for you. Adapt Over Time: Recognize that your definition of balance will evolve as your life circumstances change. 2. Believing No Job Can Offer Work-Life Balance. I had a strong belief that no job can provide a satisfactory work-life balance. This assumption led me to only see evidence that supports this belief and limiting my job search. So, I poured all my effort into a workplace which never met my needs and I never explored other opportunities that came in the way. To avoid this mistake: Keep an Open Mind: Instead of starting with the belief that achieving work-life balance is impossible, approach your job search with an open and positive mindset. Assess Opportunities Realistically: Understand that while no job may meet every single one of your criteria, many can fulfill a significant portion of your needs. Look for roles that offer a good mix of professional growth, personal satisfaction, and work-life balance. 3. Lack of clarity on where you want to see yourself in 3, 5, or 10 years can be a challenge. Without a well-defined destination, no matter how good your vehicle is, you cannot reach your goal. Even Google Maps without a destination is of no use. So, define your destination ahead of time. If your core value is time freedom, brainstorm how you can achieve it in the future. Work on your passions, understand what you love, and explore opportunities whenever you have a little time. Those tiny, almost effortless baby steps will lead to time freedom over time.

Your work-life balance has lot to do with your business choices in life. ( Often this is all that matters ) The number of people stressed over their work is increasing every day. More and more people are complaining about their work-life balance. And one of the major reasons for that is that they do things which they don’t want to do in their lives. Jobs, business and other activities. People do start them for one reason or other, But since they were never interested in them, They can’t manage things properly. And that gives them stress midway. When I started my business, I had well thought out plans about my business. I didn’t let my own ideas settle down. Instead, I acted upon them. And because that’s what I was interested in, I was able to manage things properly. That’s why it never caused me any big work-life balance issues. So whenever choosing your career, business or job, your first choice should be the things which you are interested in. Because then you’ll always be happy with the work you do. The quantity of work wouldn't be a problem for you then. That’s the best way to live a balanced life. P.S: Did you follow your own ideas?