From balance to harmony

I was listening to a BBC Maestros course on a recent trip to India, and the presenter talked about aiming for work-life harmony, instead of work-life balance.

I like appreciated the idea that work is an integral part of our lives, and aiming to keep them in “balance” suggests that they’re separate. We tend to think of them taking up two opposite ends of a scale, which can feel like a zero-sum game where giving to one necessarily takes from the other.

Harmony suggests a more holistic approach where different aspects of life can complement and enhance each other.

In music, harmony involves different notes working together to create something more complete, rather than competing or cancelling each other out.

Maybe this is a useful way to think about our working lives?