Key to Success in Life Is a Balance Among Occupation, Home, Income

Published June 1, 1989. Last week I was invited to speak to a group of business people about balance in our lives. The three topics for consideration were work, home and income. Stephen Covey, president of Stephen R. Covey and Associates, had invited about 30 men and women from around the nation to attend a leadership seminar held at Sundance.

Most of those attending had never been to Sundance and were overwhelmed with the beauty of the mountains and the resort itself. I went up Wednesday evening and spent the first 20 minutes trying to convey the need for balance in these three important areas of our life. But the group was way ahead of me. They already knew it.

I drew a large triangle on an overhead screen and on each corner wrote each of the three words: work, family and income. The suggestion was made that we must succeed in each of the three areas, and I noted the interdependence of each on the other.

Suppose, for example, a man or woman had a high income and rewarding work but a disrupted family life. What would the impact be on all three? Do problems at home proliferate into the workplace? And do they eventually impact income? I asked the group if there is a stereotype of highly successful business men and women who sacrifice marriage and family to succeed in the business world for high salaries? Truly, no success elsewhere can compensate for failure in the home.

There is also the situation where men or women are adequate spouses or parents but cannot or will not engage in steady employment. The inability or unwillingness to work obviously will eventually affect income and ultimately family life. It is also true, I suggested, that no success at home can compensate for failure in the workplace.

But what about the men or women who have good family life, steady, enjoyable employment, but the income generated is not sufficient to meet family needs? Does an inadequate income impact one's home and eventually one’s feelings about work? We talked about another current stereotype that suggests men and women seek employment with the highest wages only out of greed. This is obviously true in some instances. But what if they were just trying to adequately provide for their family? What eventually happens to adults who work long hours, even at jobs they may like, but are yet unable to provide for family needs? This, too, obviously, causes family stress.

We also noted that high incomes alone would not be satisfactory in most people’s lives. During the week this question had been asked. How many individuals would be willing to dig 2-foot holes with a shovel all day long and then cover them up at night for an annual salary of $200,000? The only catch was, they had to do it for the rest of their life. Not one hand went up. Some people would do such work for an annual salary of $200,000 for a while. But after a short period of time such endeavors would likely become boring, repetitious, and meaningless.

I think we underestimate the importance of enjoyable, rewarding work in the lives of contemporary Americans. Work is important not only for the income it generates, but also for the psychic outlets it provides for (1) creativity and (2) productivity. Both are essential for mental stability and well-being.

The key to succeeding in life is to strike a balance among a stable marriage and family life, enjoyable work, and an adequate income. It is a challenge but not impossible. Failure in any one of the three areas will ultimately impact the other two.