Joanna Gaines Doesn't Believe 'Balance Is Achievable' — But She and Chip Are 'Trying Our Best' to Juggle It All

The Texas couple tells PEOPLE about the "impossible" task of trying to find balance as they navigate their latest project, a new hotel

There's no such thing as the perfect work-life balance — just ask Chip and Joanna Gaines.

The multi-hyphenate couple, who have built an empire from their home in Waco, Texas, that includes a hit HGTV show, product lines, books, and, now, their own television network, tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story that juggling it all — and parenting — has taken some reframing.

"When people ask the questions, 'How do you do what y'all are doing?' Or, 'How do you balance work with home?,' we always say kind of the same thing, which is, 'Balance is this elusive thing. Good luck,' " Joanna, 45, says. "Balance isn't something I think that's achievable in this lifetime. We're all trying our best."

The couple, who marked 20 years of marriage in 2023, "have allowed ourselves to sort of unhinge from this idea, that there is such a thing as work-life balance," Chip, 49, says.

In addition to their expansive business portfolio, and their five children — Drake, 18, Ella, 17, Duke, 15, Emmie, 13, and Crew, 5 — Joanna and Chip recently opened a 33-room boutique hotel, Hotel 1928, on Nov. 1.

Related: Chip & Joanna Gaines Joke About Realities of Raising Teens: ‘They Aren't Notorious for Compliments’ (Exclusive)

Chip jokes that the "impossible" work-life balance idea is a decades-old marketing gimmick, teasing, "I think somebody lied to us, when they created that thought."

For more on Chip and Joanna Gaines, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

In the face of the impossible, though, Joanna says the pair and their family has found a format that does work for them. "It's prioritizing, always waking up every morning and understanding what is your priority," she explains to PEOPLE. "For us, it's obviously our relationship, and then our family and our children."

Related: Joanna Gaines Jokes About 'All Those Years I Was a Bit of a Dud’ to Chip as She Embraces Her Adventurous Phase

Also in the interview, Chip and Joanna tell PEOPLE that despite their high-profile successes, they mostly try to maintain at-home normalcy for their children.

"What we have realized about our kids is, they want to feel as normal as possible. So they don't ever talk about any of it. I think they love the idea of flying under the radar, feeling normal," Joanna explains. "We get that. But maybe they'll be proud of this one day."

Fixer Upper : The Hotel is airing now on Max and Magnolia Network.

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Read the original article on People.