A host of factors, developments, and dynamics have made most industries more competitive than ever. As a result so many of us wonder whether there is still such a thing as work-life balance. We reached out to the community to hear perspectives on finding the right balance.

Kayla Aguirre | Dental Worker, Blogger, Traveler

I’ve always been one to juggle a lot on my plate between school, multiple jobs, making time for friends and family so learning to balance all of it was a must at a young age. Over the past few years I’ve managed to finish school and narrow down to just one job which has allowed me to find a happy medium of making time for not just my work and my loved ones but also for myself which is something I didn’t focus on before. Overall I’ve continued to maintain my work life balance but I’ve definitely grown and learned how to do it in a healthy manner. Read more>>

Natalie Portillo | Cosmetologist/Salon Owner and Business Coach

Balancing is a serious juggling act and I found myself getting burnt out very quickly. One major lesson I learned is about how to spend your energy. Time does not matter, your energy does. What is the point of giving someone your time if you are emotionally drained? The answer is simple, you will not be fully present. That lesson took me a while to learn. I would try to juggle it all at once and I had to learn how to be fully present for one task at a time. Now, I can shift through tasks a little differently. Simply by prioritizing, organizing, and being fully present. I am currently juggling 3 Businesses, school, and fitness all while trying to date and be a good friend. Balancing does get tough. The key is learning how to spend your energy not your time. Read more>>

Adam Bateman | Artist. Problem Solver.

I do exactly what I want to do with my life most of the time, and consequently there is no real difference between work and life. So, I either have a perfect work/life balance, or the worst one imaginable. One way or another, I have basically found ways to make my life more or less synonymous with the answer to the question of what I would do if money wasn’t an object, which makes for a pretty nice life if you don’t mind not having much money. I give one of two answers when asked what I do, depending on the context. Here I’ll give both. I’m an artist. I’m a problem solver. Responding that I’m an artist is the simple answer. I make room-sized installation art, sculptures, videos, photos, and paintings (those sell a lot better than room-sized installations). My art explores institutional, architectural, and cultural systems that have grown out of our relationship to the landscape of the Western United States. I explore questions about how the National Park System functions to reinforce a shared cultural narrative about the land, for example, or how irrigation systems make it possible to live in the west and how they transform the landscape to meet traditional pastoral aesthetic criteria. Read more>>