Designing The Perfect Work-Life Balance

So what prompted the ‘designing the perfect work-life balance’ series?

In one of my previous posts, ‘Designing the Perfect Work-Life Balance‘, I discuss a forthcoming project and this is why…

It started with a nonchalant conversation with an entrepreneur friend of mine as we casually discussed the number of hours we worked in any given day.  After a couple glasses of wine, a few chuckles and a dramatic revelation, we deemed ourselves complete workaholics…and rightly so. However, much to my analytical brain’s surprise, the initial stats didn’t agree.

This prompted a further investigation by yours truly, and here’s what I have discovered.  According to Employment and Social Development Canada, “In 2012, employed Canadians were working fewer hours on average each week compared to three decades earlier. Canadians worked 36.6 hours per week on average, down from 38 in 1976.”  Furthermore, it was also determined that, “on average, men spent six hours more per week (39.6) at work than women (33.2) in 2012.”

It was at this point in my research I gave up on government statistics.  Seriously, I cannot remember a time in my life where my full-time work week consisted of less than 40 hours let alone ‘33.2’ hours…EVER.  It was at this point I broadened my search parameters to include the work habits of ‘entrepreneurs’ and boy did the tables turn.

In 2012, The National Study on Balancing Work and Caregiving in Canada, conducted by Carleton University, surveyed 25,000 people nationwide and found most employees engage in more than 50 hours per week on work related activities.

Additionally, this research uncovered that a ‘work-life balance is basically a dream’ for small to mid-size business owners. Despite these stats, a 2013 BMO report featured in the National Post indicates that, “small business owners work long hours without complaint.”

Being a small business owner myself, I concur. I don’t complain and likely would not even change a thing about my work habits, however, I do know my environment has to be calm, inspirational and inviting.

If I am going to spend 50 or 65, and sometimes up to 80 hours per week working, my office better inspire me. Many of us take our external working environment for granted–we shouldn’t.  Especially considering there’s only 168 hours in a week, and assuming we sleep 49 hours per week, and depending on our work schedule–well you get the point.

Hence the necessity to ensure you design a work space you look forward to stepping into everyday. This may explain why I have transformed my garage into a fabulous workspace. Be sure to follow this series as we transform a dated 1980s work space into ‘The Manhattan Studio’ for an extremely ambitious, local entrepreneur soon to be nominated for the “Top 40 under 40 list” I’m sure!

Creatively yours,

Brandelyn