Redefining Balance: Why Work-Life Fit Matters More Than Work-Life Balance
For years, I chased work-life balance like it was a finish line.
If I just woke up earlier, scheduled smarter, color-coded harder, maybe I'd get there.
But no matter how carefully I planned, balance always felt just out of reach.
Eventually, I stopped trying to make everything even.
And I started asking a better question:
What actually fits this chapter of my life?
That's when everything got lighter.
The Problem with "Balance"
Work-life balance implies an equal split.
A clean, consistent 50/50 between career and personal life.
But real life doesn't operate in equal parts.
Some weeks, work needs more of me.
Other times, family does.
And sometimes, I do.
Trying to measure balance in "days" left me constantly feeling like I was falling short, everywhere.
What Fit Looked Like Then
When my kids were younger, Greg and I started a ritual:
Every Friday morning, after school drop-off, we'd go to a local diner for breakfast.
No babysitter meter running.
No rush to work just yet.
Just us: coffee, eggs, and a quiet moment to reset.
Those mornings were never about "balance."
They were about fit.
They worked for us, for that moment in time.
We used a shared calendar to coordinate work and personal commitments.
When things conflicted, we reached out to our village: friends, family, babysitters to help.
And we stopped trying to be everywhere at once.
Instead, I'd ask each of my kids to pick the school events they cared most about and I made sure to show up for those.
They didn't get disappointed when I couldn't make everything.
And I didn't carry guilt.
Because I was there when it mattered.
At work, I blocked early evenings for dinner and homework.
And since I worked with a west coast-based team, I could take later meetings after family time was protected.
It wasn't perfect.
But it fit the life we were living.
What Fit Looks Like Now
Life looks different now.
We're navigating new work opportunities (I'm building a business I love, and Greg's stepping into a new chapter too).
We're learning how to parent young adults, figuring out how to offer support without hovering.
We're adjusting to what life (and our relationship) looks like as empty nesters.
And we're finding more time to be with our mothers, especially meaningful after losing both of our fathers in 2021.
Work-life fit in this season is quieter in some ways and deeper in others.
It's about being present for the people we love, creating space for meaningful work, and honoring what matters now, not what used to.
Why It Matters (Especially in Midlife)
This chapter is full.
Teenagers. Aging parents. Career transitions. Bigger questions about what's next.
And still, we feel like we should be doing it all.
Perfectly. Quietly. Without help.
Here's what I've learned:
You can have it all.
But you can't do it all, not at the same time, and definitely not alone.
Work-life fit gives you permission to define success your way and adjust when life shifts.
What I Want You to Know
You don't need to win at perfect.
You need rhythms that support what matters most.
Even if that means:
• Saying no to one more volunteer request
• Letting the dishes wait so you can call your mom
• Choosing rest over productivity
• Taking a morning walk to move your body, feel the sun on your face, and call a friend, a sister, or a parent, just to connect
That's not failure.
That's freedom.
Let's Redefine It Together
This is part of the conversation I'm having over at Next Chapter with Laurie: a space for redefining what success, identity, and balance look like now.
Read more reflections → Next Chapter with Laurie
Subscribe to the newsletter → Next Chapter with Laurie
Follow along on Instagram → @nextchapterwithlaurie
Let's normalize rhythms that reflect what really matters.
