The Myth of Balance | Volume 1, Edition 16

This week in Lead Anew: Insights and Growth, we challenge the myth of balance and introduce the concept of rhythm. Balance is an illusion that often leaves us feeling guilty when life shifts in one direction or another. Rhythm, on the other hand, brings peace by recognizing that life is cyclical and seasonal. What if we stopped chasing balance and started embracing rhythm instead? After all, leadership isn't about projecting an impossible image of balance; it's about embodying a healthy rhythm that others can trust. It's about demonstrating that presence matters far more than perfection.

For most of my career, I believed balance was the holy grail. If I could crack the code, organize my schedule perfectly, set airtight boundaries, and manage my priorities like a master juggler, then I’d finally feel whole. The promise was tempting; everything neatly aligned, no area of life neglected, peace of mind secured.

However, here’s what I discovered: balance is not only elusive but also misleading. Balance is a myth.

And the more we chase it, the more stuck we become.

Balance implies equality. It paints a picture where every area of life gets the same attention, weight, and care. Work, family, health, friendships, and personal growth are all held at equal distance on a scale that never tips.

But life does not operate that way. Life is dynamic. It shifts, stretches, contracts, and surprises us. Some seasons demand more of our energy in one area. Other seasons shift us toward another. Trying to hold it all in place evenly is like trying to balance on a tightrope while carrying grocery bags, a laptop, and a golden retriever. It is exhausting and unsustainable.

The trap of chasing balance is that we think if we fail to achieve it, we’re the problem. We blame ourselves for not being disciplined enough or efficient enough. The failure is not ours; it is in the false idea of balance itself.

Balance keeps us stuck because it sets up an impossible standard. The pursuit of balance keeps us striving for a moment that never fully arrives. Even when you feel like you’ve almost got it, life shifts again. The child gets sick. The boss moves up the deadline. Your own body says, “Slow down.” Suddenly, the scales are uneven again.

The endless pursuit of balance can also rob us of joy. Instead of being present with what matters most in this season, we’re distracted by guilt about what is not getting equal attention. That guilt is heavy, and it takes away from the moments that matter.

What if we stop chasing balance and start embracing rhythm instead?

Rhythm is alive. Rhythm flows with the natural seasons of life. It allows for space to intensify in one area when needed and then recover in another. Rhythm is not about equal distribution but about intentional shifts.

Think about music. No song is built on a single, steady note. Songs come alive with variation, rises and falls, fast and slow, loud and soft. The richness is in the rhythm.

When we live by rhythm instead of balance, we stop apologizing for the seasons that demand more of us. We stop resenting ourselves for not being everywhere at once. We learn to honor where our energy is needed most in the moment, trusting that the rhythm will shift again.

There was a season in my healthcare leadership journey when I tried desperately to achieve balance. I was managing multiple clinics, supporting my relationship with my husband, and holding myself to impossible standards. Every day, I chased balance like it was a prize at the end of the finish line.

What I found instead was exhaustion. I was stretched thin, frustrated that nothing felt “even enough.”

The breakthrough came when I realized I did not have to live in balance; I had to live in rhythm. That meant giving myself permission to pour more deeply into leadership in one season and more deeply into family in another. It meant releasing the guilt when everything was not equal, and instead asking myself, “Where is my presence needed most right now?”

That shift felt like freedom.

Living in rhythm does not mean neglecting responsibilities or ignoring important areas of your life. It means adjusting with intention.

As leaders, the myth of balance also manifests in another way. We often pressure our teams to “balance” work and life without giving them space to embrace rhythm. We offer advice on balance but then overload them with expectations that make balance impossible.

Great leadership means modeling rhythm. It means encouraging your team to honor their seasons, whether it’s stepping back for family, leaning into professional growth, or taking a pause for renewal. When leaders model rhythm, they create cultures that breathe.

This week, I invite you to ask yourself:

• Where am I chasing balance and blaming myself when I cannot achieve it?
• What would change if I embraced rhythm instead?
• Where is my presence most needed at this time?

Write these answers down. Sometimes clarity arrives when we see it in our own handwriting.

The pursuit of balance will always leave us tired and frustrated. But rhythm, the ebb and flow of life, honored with intention, creates space for joy, energy, and presence.

So, stop asking yourself if you’re balanced. Ask yourself if you’re aligned with your current rhythm. That question changes everything.

✨ Until next time, may you lead anew—not in balance, but in rhythm.

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