The dreaded work/life balance

There was a seminar at work this past Thursday on work/life balance.  I didn't go.  I was too busy trying to manage said work/life balance.

I'm beginning to think that this fabled work/life balance is, at least for my real job, an unobtainable fallacy.  It seems that, no matter how hard I try, I can't make it work, and it's not because I'm being inflexible.  It's because, even though my job is somewhat flexible, it's not flexible enough, and part of that is due to the oddities of the organization for which I work.

I made the deliberate decision, two years ago, to reduce my teaching load and go on job share, something that I'm thankful my employer offers.  However, I find it appalling that I'm teaching as much on a half-time load as some of my colleagues in other departments (which shall not be named) are on full-time loads.  This disparity is a significant part of what's causing my work/life balance issues.  I'm not complaining, as I love what I do, but I find it funny, in a twisted way, that my institution is advocating work/life balance when it's making it extremely difficult for some of us to achieve that balance.

That's why I'm doing more writing, more editing, and more coaching.  I have plans, some big, and some small.  I want to teach on my own terms, and write on my own terms, and my goal is to eventually achieve work/life balance, outside of my real job.

I could set small, smart goals (and, don't get me wrong, I'm doing this), but I'm focusing on what's become a pair of big hairy audacious goals (which I'll admit need to be edited and tweaked a bit):  (1) to expand my editing business to the point that I can walk away from my real job, and (2) to join the ranks of Canadian publishers in the realm of science fiction and fantasy.

The months to come will see the birth of two online literary journals.  Early 2014 will see the publication of an edited anthology of short stories, theme and submission deadline to be announced in April.  Another edited anthology will follow in late 2014, and things will continue to grow from there.