Lately, I’ve swapped my mindless Facebook scrolling for something a little more intentional, LinkedIn. Fewer ads, more inspiration, and the chance to connect with friends and colleagues in the industry.

So when I came across a post from Morgan Lurz, President of Cannonball Moments, I had to stop the scroll. She wrote:

“Forget work-life balance—what we truly value is what we prioritize.
I’ve been knee-deep in interviews lately, and nearly every candidate brings up that elusive ‘balance.’ But here’s the truth: balance is a myth.
Progress happens when we go all-in on what matters most.”

POW. How true is that?

I felt this in my bones because almost every OSC candidate I interview says they’re looking for “work-life balance.” It sounds reasonable, right? But after years of hiring, training, and coaching OSCs, I’ve realized that “balance” is often just a vague placeholder for something deeper.

And we’ll get to that.

But there’s another layer that often shows up in these conversations: “professional growth.”

I’ll hear, “I’ve hit the ceiling at my current job,” or, “I’m looking for a place where I can grow.” I’m always intrigued by that phrase, and one of my go-to questions is:
“What does growth mean to you?”

These two ideas, work-life balance and professional growth, get thrown around so much that we’ve almost stopped questioning what they actually mean. They’ve joined the ranks of other trendy-but-vague terms like “abundance,” “authenticity,” and “mindset.” But I digress… that’s a rabbit hole for another time.

Let’s Start with “Work-Life Balance”

After reading Morgan’s post, I immediately messaged her:

“Morgan, this post really hit home! I too hear it all the time that people want Work-Life Balance, but so many people aren’t good at scheduling their time, let alone understanding what truly drives them.

They get off work, scroll their phones, binge-watch TV, and then play the blame game that they don’t have balance.

In truth, they aren’t prioritizing what’s important. So there’s a constant struggle for success, yet they’re putting their own barriers in the way.”

The first step toward work-life balance? Exactly what Morgan said: you value what you prioritize.

We’ve got to understand ourselves better and what we truly value and what our goals are before we can prioritize anything. Otherwise, we default to the path of least resistance.

Maybe the pressure of work causes us to hit the decompression switch, and suddenly we’re five episodes deep into Netflix or endlessly swiping through Candy Crush. Sound familiar?

Knowing What Drives You: Finding Your Values

You can continue to stumble through your days on autopilot, or you can sit down with intention and decide what matters to you.

It’s easy to say you value things like family, fitness, friends, faith, field, and fun… but does your calendar reflect that? Do your actions align with your intentions?

Here are three ways to dig into that:

• Look at your calendar and your camera roll.
  Where have you spent your time lately? What moments felt most meaningful? These clues often reveal what you actually value, or what you might be neglecting.
• Ask yourself: “When do I feel most myself?”
  This can lead to some deep introspection, and I encourage you to sit with it. The answer helps guide where to prioritize your time.
• Make a list of your non-negotiables.
  These often emerge from the last question. What are the things that, no matter what, must be part of your life?

Once you know your values, ask yourself, “Does my time reflect them, or do I constantly fight against them?”

Scheduling Your Time: AKA “Time Management”

The idea of time management induces dread for some. It’s that accountability factor. How am I spending my time? Or better yet, how am I wasting my time? But it’s foundational for productivity, personal growth, achieving goals, and yes… that ever-elusive work-life balance.

If we can’t manage our time, we’ll spin our wheels in everything we do…including our pursuit of “balance.”

There are so many great resources out there. One of my favorites is Atomic Habits by James Clear. He says:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Want better work-life balance? More focus? A clearer mind? Don’t just hope for it, build a system that makes it inevitable. That might mean setting up your calendar, batching tasks, or creating a shutdown routine at the end of the workday. This is what will help lead you to that elusive unicorn…balance. But what about professional growth?

Professional Growth: The Landmine in Work-Life Balance

Here’s where things get interesting. In almost every interview I conduct, work-life balance and professional growth come up often within minutes of each other.

At first glance, they sound like healthy, admirable goals. And they are… individually.

But here’s the truth no one really says out loud: These two goals often pull in opposite directions.

And that’s where people get stuck. There’s this hidden tug-of-war between wanting peace and wanting progress. Between stability and striving. Between comfort and challenge.

That tension creates a low-grade dissatisfaction that no job, promotion, or personal achievement can fully fix… because you’re not clear on what you actually want most. Remember that placeholder for something deeper at the beginning? This is the struggle of work-life balance and professional growth.

If You’re Still Reading, Thank You

I think we may need a part two to fully unpack the “Balance vs. Growth” dilemma.

But for now, Morgan’s words are still echoing in my head: “We value what we prioritize.”

And maybe it’s time we all get a little more honest about what we’re really prioritizing—and whether it’s getting us where we want to go.