{"id":4489,"date":"2024-02-05T13:59:33","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T19:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.thegentsplace.com\/?p=4489"},"modified":"2024-02-06T14:11:09","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T20:11:09","slug":"a-gents-guide-to-work-life-balance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.thegentsplace.com\/a-gents-guide-to-work-life-balance\/","title":{"rendered":"A Gents Guide to Work\/Life Balance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Men have been the breadwinners for their families for most of history. With that responsibility comes the burden of balancing their working lives with their personal lives. Between familial expectations, cultural expectations, and internal struggle with self-expectations, most men have simply put themselves last and accepted an unbalanced life. They accept satisfaction from being the person who can do it all for others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As society has changed and cultures have shifted, the responsibility on the man has eased and it has allowed for men to consider balance as something achievable in their lives without guilt. But, can work\/life balance be achieved without the degradation of the role that a man plays in society? Is chasing greatness better than chasing balance?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Stages of a Man\u2019s Life<\/span><\/h2>\n

A man\u2019s current stage is his primary factor in determining a work\/life balance. Each stage has different priorities and flexibilities that shape the balance that a man does or does not enjoy. All stages can be differentiated using something called <\/span>The Four Burners Theory<\/span><\/i>, which means that a man can devote his time to any of four categories: family, friends, health, and work.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you consider the four categories as burners on a stovetop, then each one has an equal capacity for individual success as the other burners. However, they all draw from the same source, which is time in the case of man. To be successful as a man in life, <\/span>The Four Burners Theory<\/span><\/i> posits that you can only use three of the burners at the same time. That is, one of the priorities of a man must be turned off. However, to be <\/span>very successful<\/span><\/i> in life as a man, you must turn off two of the four burners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Young Man<\/span><\/h2>\n

A young man moving into higher education or their first job as an adult has spent most of his time focused on fun. Working and education time is looked at as a means to an end, with friends and health the priorities. Health might be a priority if only out of vanity or the luxury of youth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n