Self-Awareness in action: The path to a sustainable balance between work and personal life

Marcos Marinho
2 min readJun 9, 2024

Personal and Professional Life

Foto de Samson Katt: https://www.pexels.com/pt-br/foto/freelancer-anonima-negra-usando-laptop-perto-de-cachorro-5256145/

Reflecting on the balance between personal and professional life should not be a periodic exercise but rather a constant practice of self-awareness and adjustment of our time.

Regularly evaluating how we spend our time is essential. However, it’s equally important to deepen this practice by exploring our core values and priorities. Instead of merely asking ourselves, “How am I spending my time?” we should consider, “Is this way of living aligned with what I find most meaningful and valuable?”

Through this analysis, we can identify not only imbalances but also new ways of living that bring greater satisfaction and meaning.

It’s crucial to recognize not only the excesses in our work life but also the gaps in nurturing personal relationships and engaging in activities that support our emotional and mental well-being. We should seek activities that not only distract us but also connect us with our essence and true self, such as leisure activities we genuinely enjoy or moments of silence and introspection.

Our lives and priorities change over time, and being rigid with our limits can be as harmful as not setting any. Self-awareness and flexibility are fundamental to adjusting these limits healthily, adapting to new realities without losing sight of what truly matters.

By integrating these perspectives, reflecting on the balance between personal and professional life becomes a dynamic and enriching journey. Self-awareness and flexibility enable us to live more in alignment with our values and deepest goals, promoting continuous well-being that adapts fluidly to the demands and changes of the world around us.

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Marcos Marinho

Psychologist and Strategic Consultant. Advisory Council Member at Harvard Business Review and contributor to McKinsey's Global Survey Panel.