By Kenzie Koehle
A hot topic that has popped up in the last year or two has been that of a work-life balance. For many employees who now work from home in a space where their workplace and safe space have blended into one, they wonder how they can keep these two halves of themselves—their work life and their normal life—balanced.
Niko Pfund, the president and academic publisher at Oxford University Press, is of the opinion that you shouldn’t settle for a work-life balance, but instead obtain a work-life integration. A balance is certainly not a bad thing to have, but it shouldn’t be the end-all goal of a career. Pfund says, “I think there are professions where the gift of leading an integrated existence offers itself up. I think that that is the best of all possible worlds.” He acknowledges that this integration it might not work for every job; but if it’s possible, this should be something all strive for, as it will lead to a healthy marriage of the two halves of a person’s life. And by accepting both sides, they won’t need an unhappy “break” from each other.
He acknowledges that there will be times you need to reflect and make sure one half isn’t overstepping the other. For example, if he is invited to do something with an author he’s become friends with, Pfund will ask himself, “is this going to have any bearing on the next book I work on?” He suggests that you don’t close yourself off to growing connections, but to simply be careful that the integration doesn’t become confused to the point that it’s unprofessional.
Though Pfund has worked for the University Oxford Press for more than twenty years, he believes that part of finding the right job is trying many different paths. He says, “I think there’s real utility in doing work at a young age that you ultimately realize is work you don’t want to do.” If you try a couple of things (whether that’s construction, temp jobs, or serving at Chuck-E-Cheese), you’ll find what you may like about a job and make sure to look for it in a future career. But most importantly, you may find yourself working at a mouse-themed restaurant and realize that you want nothing to do with this in your future, meaning you’ll work extra hard to find something you do like instead—as was the case with Pfund.
Finally, when asked what his definition of success is, Pfund didn’t reply in monetary or professional units of measurement. Rather, his definition of success is happiness: “The happiest people I know are people who have lasting, meaningful relationships with other people and are also members of a number of communities.” He quotes Robert Frost, saying, “‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.’ I think that if you have a number of places like that—and it doesn’t have to be a physical place; it can be a relationship, it can be a frame of mind even. I think those are the things that help define what I would consider a life well lead, a successful life.”