Asset Services Insights - Fall 2016

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The first time I read this quote, I chuckled; well, to be
honest, I downright laughed out loud. I must admit
that Trent Reznor’s quote describes my early career
to a T. As a single mother, I spent 18 years of my life
attempting to do a great job at work and at home.
In fact, it seemed to me that when I was firing on all
cylinders at work, home life was “not so much.” When
things were great at home, my career faltered. Perhaps
if I had seen this quote early on, it would have caused
me to pause and think about what work-life balance
really meant, and how to focus on achieving it.
Cambridge Dictionary describes work-life balance as
“a concept including proper prioritizing between ‘work’
and ‘lifestyle.’” It sounds easy enough, but why is it
so difficult to accomplish? We must understand that
work-life balance is not static; it is ever-changing.
More importantly, your personal success is not
achieved single-handedly. You must surround yourself
with people, personally and professionally, who not
only want you to succeed, but who are willing to play
a role in it.
How many of you are unwilling to leave your
smartphone, iPad, or laptop at home or while you are
on vacation? Can you resist checking e-mail over the
weekend or during your child’s soccer game? What
about that client who has asked for a meeting when
you need to be at your their kindergarten spring
concert?
For most of my career, I was certain there was nobody
that could handle my job in my absence or had the
time to accept my responsibilities. Would my boss
think I was not fully committed? Would my client
understand the importance of my child’s event? Sound
familiar? Of course it does! We all struggle with our
own reasons to not check out when we need to.
I HAVE FOUND THAT A STRONG
SUPPORT SYSTEM COMBINED
WITH A WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT
THE SUPPORT IS THE ANSWER TO
WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
I refuse to miss the important things in my life outside
of the office, yet, will not compromise my career. I
trust that those who are near to me, professionally and
personally, will encourage and sponsor my success. In
turn, I will champion them and theirs.
So, the next time you start to wonder if you should
take your laptop, miss that ball game, or decline a
business meeting, think about your support base. Ask
them to step it up in your absence, suggest a change
in time or venue to accommodate schedules, and be
willing to let others help. Most importantly, remember
that they too struggle with this concept of work-life
balance; who understands it better?
“Balance is good, because one extreme or
the other leads to misery, and I’ve spent a lot
of my life at one of those extremes.”
- Trent Reznor
ASSET SERVICES INSIGHTS | 41
AFTON TRAIL, CPM
Senior Managing Director
West Region Lead, Asset Services