A tip for graduates: work-life balance is a thing

Congrats, grads, from the Polkaholics stage!

It is graduation season. Congrats former high schoolers, undergrad grads, new Masters and Doctors, and Certificate holders!

While you are enjoying your loved ones and basking in your much deserved accolades, many of you may be pushing some undesirable thoughts to the back of your mind - thoughts about future plans and job searching and new responsibilities - undesirable, stress-inducing thoughts.

Luckily, in addition to your graduation speeches, Linkedin is running a series called "If I were 22" to give you lessons and advice on how to approach your next steps.  And whether you are 22 or 18 or 37 or 56, some of the thoughts are applicable and inspiring and worth taking to heart.

This one by PBS' CEO struck me in particular.

"And finally, I wish someone had told me how important it would be to maintain a sense of balance."

Work-life balance is important to me, and in my opinion it should be important to everyone. Work-life balance is not doing yoga in your cubicle or taking a 20 minute break to eat lunch not-at-your-computer. (These are things that some employers suggested to a few of my young professional type friends recently.)

Work-life balance is different for different people, but for me it means being able to make dinner on weeknights, go to the library, write letters and blog posts, binge on West Wing and Modern Family, and doing things like this on weekends:

He dug the hole himself!

For Fifi, I found a blow-up doll!

German Maifest in Lincoln Square

I enjoy my job and my co-workers. And there are days where I work until 8 or 9. And I did a little work this weekend. But being able to have balance, I think, not only makes me happy, it also means I can do my job better.

Congrats, graduates! Celebrate your accomplishments and reach for your work-related dreams, but make room for balance. As Mr. Kerger says, "You are more than just your job title, or your salary. You are a daughter, a son, a parent, a friend, a mentor, a neighbor, a volunteer, an entrepreneur, and a leader. Don’t let one of those roles define you fully- but let each one of them inform and inspire you."

If this isn't inspiration, what is?