The Work-Life Flywheel Concept

To young leaders.

We are often encouraged to view our “work-life balance” as a scale. Don’t fall for it, it’s the wrong metaphor.

I much prefer the “work-life flywheel”.

Here’s why.

Work, family and leisure all require your energy if they are to be enjoyed and done well. But your daily energy quota is not some fixed pie to be carefully apportioned. It’s a flowing river that is either rising (when you’re happy and excited) or falling (when you’re worried or disengaged).

It follows therefore that the energy you bring to one part of your life flows into and contributes to the other parts of your life. People who are happy at work tend to be happy at home and vice versa.

This is also why, for example, a fun daily workout routine (leisure) is good for both your career and your family life.

And if work-life is in fact a flywheel then the implications are obvious – to keep the flywheel spinning, continue with work/family/leisure time for as long as your energy is rising. Switch modes when it’s falling.

Work, family, leisure. Don’t try to balance them, flywheel them.