Balancing Your Career & Personal Life

The entertainment industry is very bipolar. One day you’re without a job, the next you’re working 7 days a week, 12-hour or longer days for weeks on end. And just as suddenly as it all began the project is done and it’s all over again. Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to know what’s coming next and have projects lined up one behind the next, but often that’s simply not the case. Even if it is, schedules change all the time making this a very unpredictable industry.

So how do you balance an erratic career schedule and a personal life? There’s no one right answer, but I’ll do my best to offer some advice based on my own experience.

On a daily basis, I try to be home every evening to eat dinner with my wife & kids and to tuck them in to bed. It’s not always possible, and on days that I have to work late in the studio or take a meeting I try to call at bedtime if I can. On days I work from home, I take a break to pick-up my son from school. It may not be much, but little things matter.

On a broader basis, when I work it’s often difficult to find much time to spend with my family and friends. But when I have a day off, or am between projects, I try to spend as much time as possible with my wife & kids, and getting together with friends. I also make sure I take some time for myself. It’s important to recharge.

Finally, my wife & I have had conversations about my career and she understands that there are times when I am slammed, but when I’m not, I do whatever I can to step up and help around the house, and be there for her and the kids – really be there. I rarely have a balanced day, or even week. But I try to balance the intensity of my work with being just as dedicated to “switching off” from work and being present on a personal level when I have time off.


 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, or add a comment.