How do experts in your field achieve work-life balance?

How do experts in your field achieve work-life balance?

Prompt: How do experts in your field achieve work-life balance? A perennial problem in any profession is that of work-life balance: Finding enough time to do well at work and flourish in our personal lives outside of work. There is likely no definitive once-and-for-all or one-size-fits-all solution to achieving work-life balance, but this does not mean that all solutions should be accepted. Your task is to compose a 3-4 page essay with references (including James Clear), explaining the problems and solutions pertaining to achieving work-life balance for professionals in your field of work (i.e., your intended career/profession). For example, if you plan to work in the law field, explore the challenges that might make work-life balance difficult for a lawyer as well as potential solutions.

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Since professions vary so much, it is likely that professionals in one profession may seek solutions that are different from those in other professions–at least to some degree. Include at least three sources in your essay, including James Clear. [Please note that the list of sources on the final page of your essay does not count to the total page count].

Required Structure:

The following is a basic outline for the essay. The problem solution essay should be structured in the following order of topics…

1. SITUATION – To set up the essay, you will paraphrase in your own words some of the prompt for this essay: Establish for your readers that work-life balance is indeed an important issue, and forecast with a thesis statement how your essay will address this subject in regards to your profession. (This section may be 1-2 paragraphs)
2. PROBLEM – In the body of the essay, present the problems or challenges within your field/profession that make (or could make) work-life balance difficult to achieve. (This section may be 1-3 paragraphs)
3. SOLUTION – Next, also in the body, explore the solutions that exist for people (specifically people in your field) to achieve work-life balance, and/or how you yourself plan to deal with it in your profession. (This section may be 1-3 paragraphs…but the PROBLEM and SOLUTION sections together should be at least 3 paragraphs)
4. EVALUATION – As part of your conclusion paragraph/section, please provide a brief review of the thesis and main ideas of your essay and end with a final observation about the best way for professionals in your field to seek work-life balance. (1 paragraph is usually sufficient; two at most)

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Please include a creative title in your piece. “Work Life Balance” And “Work Life Balance for [Name of Field]” are not creative in my opinion. Below are examples of creative titles (for other topics, not this essay topic):

• William Hooper Councill: A Man for All Seasons
• “Wait a Minute!”: An Essay Whose Time has Come

The two-part title structure–colon in the middle–isn’t required, but tends to work well. It’s common in academic essays and it forecasts the thesis.

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Please include a works cited or references page (depending on the citation style used: MLA or APA). Use the style most commonly required in your major, which for most is APA.

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Purpose: The main purpose of this assignment is to create an interesting, authentic, well-organized, and well-written problem-solution essay on the assigned topic of work-life balance in your profession or future profession.

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Audience: Consider your audience a general reading public: People who enjoy reading as a practice and are eager to think about complex topics; who think critically. Also consider your audience to be composed of people with varying levels of interest in the subject of your essay: Try to engage a wide variety of readers.

Length: 3 to 4 pages (double-spaced, size 12 font, MLA or APA style). Write at least 3 full pages of text, with the list of references not counting toward the 3 pages requirement.

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Grading: The piece will be graded on the overall writing quality, including higher-order concerns (clarity, organization, originality, accuracy of ideas, reflection of the readings, etc) and lower-order concerns (diction, style, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, delivery). The most effective essays will have a clear purpose and thesis, and originality of thought – which, again, are what I call “higher-order concerns” in writing. The requirement to explicitly address the prompt, and use the required readings, will also be considered in the overall grade.