If you think that work and life balance is just a saying which there is no possible way to achieve it. Then you are so wrong. It does not have a standard rule on how it should be. But there is always something at the very least..something which you can do to make your life better.
It is always true that work is important. Without work, how are you going to support your life, family and all the expenses. I totally understand that work is important. When I say work and life balance, I do not mean that you should not take your work seriously. All I am saying is, you can achieve more if you have a balance lifestyle.
Imagine if you have a bad relationship with your spouse just because you spent too little time for her, wouldn't that affect your performance at work? Perhaps you say you will be alright. Your spouse totally understand that your work comes first and don't mind not having you by her side most of the time. But in creating work and life balance, there are other components, like health, friends, hobbies and so on.
We will take health as example. If you work like a busy bee and then one fine day when everything else is fine, you fall sick. So sick that you have to be admitted and you have to stop work for a month just because of that. What are going to do if that really happen? Should you wait for this to happen or you can actually practise balance lifestyle to prevent this. Spend weekends exercising. Spend 15 minutes a day doing exercise or other healthy activities with friends or your children.
It is so simple and you think that this is just a whatever you call it, i don't know. Its the first step that is so important. Think of the reward. How can a healthy lifestyle help you in your work place. How can a clear and alert mind help you in meeting rooms?
So..can you really do this?.... You should decide..
Cheers
JR
Friday, February 6, 2009
Great Ideas to Achieve Work-Life Balance
Here are some practical tips on how you can start managing your time better and finally achieve the best balance between work and life for you.
Prioritise.
You should figure out what you want your priorities to be. Ask yourself if you have to focus on only one thing in your life, what would that be? If you could add a second thing, what would that be?
Your top five priorities may typically include spouse, children, health, religion, career and even travel. When you know what your priorities are, devote your full attention to just one priority at a time. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. Leave work at work.
Drop unnecessary activities.
When you have determined what your priorities are, you can then manage your time better and adjust your schedule accordingly. Cut or delegate activities that you do not enjoy and do not have time for.
For example, if you can afford it, pay someone else to manage certain household tasks such as cleaning and doing the laundry.
Also, learn to say no. When you stop doing things out of a false sense of obligation, you will have more time for people who are important to you.
Protect your private time.
Find out if your employer offers flexible working hours. The flexibility can free up some of your time. If your work constantly interferes with your personal time, you should discuss some adjustments with your employer. Prove to your employer that you can deliver the same or better results in fewer hours. The number of working hours that you put in should not be an indicator of how well you are doing your job.
Set aside time each day for an enjoyable activity such as jogging. After a busy workday, take a bath, meditate or read. Try scheduling some of your routine chores on workdays so that your days off are more relaxing.
Do remember to get enough sleep. When you are sleep-deprived, you are likely to make more mistakes and your productivity declines.
Strengthen your support system.
Always spend some time with your family and friends. These are your ‘support system’ who will get you through times of hardship. Do not hesitate to let them know your problems, as they might even offer a solution that you have not thought about.
Accept babysitting offers from friends and family to get more time alone with your partner or you can arrange a trade-off with another couple – you will watch their children this weekend, and they watch yours next weekend.
Schedule time for recreation and relaxation.
Set aside space in your schedule for some fun and get into the habit of taking time for yourself. Plan ahead, do the necessary arrangements and make sure you keep to your commitment. If it is important for you, you will make time to do it.
Turn off the TV and you may discover many activities that you can do with your family and friends. Try picking up a hobby or a skill that you have always wanted to try. This will help inject variety into your life and you will feel instantly rejuvenated.
Give yourself a pat on the back.
Sometimes, all you need to do is to let yourself bask in your achievements for the day, no matter how small they may be. Help others to do the same too. If you are the type of person who not only get things done, but enjoys the process of getting it done, you will automatically attract positive thinking people to you. They will want you on their team and they will want to be on your team.
There you go... some ideas to achieve work-life balance. Hope this will inspire you at least a little.
Cheers!
Prioritise.
You should figure out what you want your priorities to be. Ask yourself if you have to focus on only one thing in your life, what would that be? If you could add a second thing, what would that be?
Your top five priorities may typically include spouse, children, health, religion, career and even travel. When you know what your priorities are, devote your full attention to just one priority at a time. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. Leave work at work.
Drop unnecessary activities.
When you have determined what your priorities are, you can then manage your time better and adjust your schedule accordingly. Cut or delegate activities that you do not enjoy and do not have time for.
For example, if you can afford it, pay someone else to manage certain household tasks such as cleaning and doing the laundry.
Also, learn to say no. When you stop doing things out of a false sense of obligation, you will have more time for people who are important to you.
Protect your private time.
Find out if your employer offers flexible working hours. The flexibility can free up some of your time. If your work constantly interferes with your personal time, you should discuss some adjustments with your employer. Prove to your employer that you can deliver the same or better results in fewer hours. The number of working hours that you put in should not be an indicator of how well you are doing your job.
Set aside time each day for an enjoyable activity such as jogging. After a busy workday, take a bath, meditate or read. Try scheduling some of your routine chores on workdays so that your days off are more relaxing.
Do remember to get enough sleep. When you are sleep-deprived, you are likely to make more mistakes and your productivity declines.
Strengthen your support system.
Always spend some time with your family and friends. These are your ‘support system’ who will get you through times of hardship. Do not hesitate to let them know your problems, as they might even offer a solution that you have not thought about.
Accept babysitting offers from friends and family to get more time alone with your partner or you can arrange a trade-off with another couple – you will watch their children this weekend, and they watch yours next weekend.
Schedule time for recreation and relaxation.
Set aside space in your schedule for some fun and get into the habit of taking time for yourself. Plan ahead, do the necessary arrangements and make sure you keep to your commitment. If it is important for you, you will make time to do it.
Turn off the TV and you may discover many activities that you can do with your family and friends. Try picking up a hobby or a skill that you have always wanted to try. This will help inject variety into your life and you will feel instantly rejuvenated.
Give yourself a pat on the back.
Sometimes, all you need to do is to let yourself bask in your achievements for the day, no matter how small they may be. Help others to do the same too. If you are the type of person who not only get things done, but enjoys the process of getting it done, you will automatically attract positive thinking people to you. They will want you on their team and they will want to be on your team.
There you go... some ideas to achieve work-life balance. Hope this will inspire you at least a little.
Cheers!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Creating Work and Lies Balanve
FINDING A BALANCE
Is Work Dominating Your Life?
Should you let it continue and miss out on a rewarding personal life? It’s time to allow yourself to do things that are most important to you.
Why is creating work and lies balanve so important? Let us see..
It is now 8 p.m. and you are still working on the project that was given to you by your superiors. You have been at the office since 8 a.m. and your dinner is sandwiches which you bought from the cafeteria. For the past few nights you left the office at 10 p.m. and continued your work at home. So, tonight you will most likely be doing the same. For you, this is the norm – working late, continuing to work at home and during the weekends, and eating quick (and often unhealthy) meals.
For many employees, especially in Asia, climbing the career ladder must involve working long hours. In other words, to be successful in your career, you must sacrifice personal time. The boundaries between work and home can now no longer be distinguished. There are also many other contributing factors such as:
• Competitive working environment - The chase for material wealth and the constant high expectations to climb the career ladder faster than our peers force us to place work as the single most important aspect in our adult lives.
• Current working conditions - With international businesses, employees are expected to be on call around the clock to provide troubleshooting support. Many are also given laptops, mobile phones and other communication devices to allow them to work from home.
• Global economy - The downward spiral of the global economy, the outsourcing trend, and the fear of being retrenched and replaced by younger graduates add to the burden of performing for the company to prove that you are indispensable.
• Longer hours - Many employees work overtime to earn more money. Sometimes, overtime is made compulsory. Often, employers expect their workers to put in more time at work. You may find yourself regularly working longer hours to achieve and exceed expectations.
Effects and consequences
As tempting as it may be to rack up the extra hours at work, your life outside of work is likely to suffer. Whatever the reasons for working longer hours are, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, many damaging effects will follow.
Work - When you are tired, you are more prone to making mistakes. This is because your ability to concentrate suffers, and your hand-eye coordination decreases. Mistakes can harm your career and reputation, and can also lead to injury.
Family and friends - When your family and friends begin to learn to make appointments with you weeks ahead, just to eat dinner with you, you know that you are beginning to lose touch with your loved ones. You may miss out on memorable events such as your father’s birthday, your friend’s wedding, your own anniversary, and your baby’s first steps. You slowly become a stranger to people who love you.
Self - As you spend more time at work, you will neglect your hobbies or activities that you have taken up. You may also give up on your personal dreams simply because you do not have the time to pursue them.
Juggling your career and personal life
Working and building a career is nevertheless still an important component in our lives. The key is to manage your time between work, family, friends, and yourself. Working long hours may be unavoidable at times, but that should not hinder you from achieving an effective balance between work and life.
The best balance is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives. The balance will also vary over time, as important events such as starting a new career, getting married and having children, take place during your lifetime. It is unrewarding to schedule equal time for every aspect of your life. In fact, keeping to the schedule will be a stressful activity in itself. Life is fluid and creating a balance is a continuous process. The aim should be to make time for things that matter to you the most.
Looking back with no regrets
When you retire, let’s say at about 60 years old, would you feel that you have led a fulfilling life? It is a common misconception that once you retire, you can then fully enjoy the pleasures of life, without weighing the fact that old age is an obvious drawback.
Perhaps the best way to achieve the delicate balance between work and life is summed up by Louisa May Alcott, the author of the popular classic ‘Little Women’.
“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.”
Let us start to create work and lies balanve together now.
Is Work Dominating Your Life?
Should you let it continue and miss out on a rewarding personal life? It’s time to allow yourself to do things that are most important to you.
Why is creating work and lies balanve so important? Let us see..
It is now 8 p.m. and you are still working on the project that was given to you by your superiors. You have been at the office since 8 a.m. and your dinner is sandwiches which you bought from the cafeteria. For the past few nights you left the office at 10 p.m. and continued your work at home. So, tonight you will most likely be doing the same. For you, this is the norm – working late, continuing to work at home and during the weekends, and eating quick (and often unhealthy) meals.
For many employees, especially in Asia, climbing the career ladder must involve working long hours. In other words, to be successful in your career, you must sacrifice personal time. The boundaries between work and home can now no longer be distinguished. There are also many other contributing factors such as:
• Competitive working environment - The chase for material wealth and the constant high expectations to climb the career ladder faster than our peers force us to place work as the single most important aspect in our adult lives.
• Current working conditions - With international businesses, employees are expected to be on call around the clock to provide troubleshooting support. Many are also given laptops, mobile phones and other communication devices to allow them to work from home.
• Global economy - The downward spiral of the global economy, the outsourcing trend, and the fear of being retrenched and replaced by younger graduates add to the burden of performing for the company to prove that you are indispensable.
• Longer hours - Many employees work overtime to earn more money. Sometimes, overtime is made compulsory. Often, employers expect their workers to put in more time at work. You may find yourself regularly working longer hours to achieve and exceed expectations.
Effects and consequences
As tempting as it may be to rack up the extra hours at work, your life outside of work is likely to suffer. Whatever the reasons for working longer hours are, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, many damaging effects will follow.
Work - When you are tired, you are more prone to making mistakes. This is because your ability to concentrate suffers, and your hand-eye coordination decreases. Mistakes can harm your career and reputation, and can also lead to injury.
Family and friends - When your family and friends begin to learn to make appointments with you weeks ahead, just to eat dinner with you, you know that you are beginning to lose touch with your loved ones. You may miss out on memorable events such as your father’s birthday, your friend’s wedding, your own anniversary, and your baby’s first steps. You slowly become a stranger to people who love you.
Self - As you spend more time at work, you will neglect your hobbies or activities that you have taken up. You may also give up on your personal dreams simply because you do not have the time to pursue them.
Juggling your career and personal life
Working and building a career is nevertheless still an important component in our lives. The key is to manage your time between work, family, friends, and yourself. Working long hours may be unavoidable at times, but that should not hinder you from achieving an effective balance between work and life.
The best balance is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives. The balance will also vary over time, as important events such as starting a new career, getting married and having children, take place during your lifetime. It is unrewarding to schedule equal time for every aspect of your life. In fact, keeping to the schedule will be a stressful activity in itself. Life is fluid and creating a balance is a continuous process. The aim should be to make time for things that matter to you the most.
Looking back with no regrets
When you retire, let’s say at about 60 years old, would you feel that you have led a fulfilling life? It is a common misconception that once you retire, you can then fully enjoy the pleasures of life, without weighing the fact that old age is an obvious drawback.
Perhaps the best way to achieve the delicate balance between work and life is summed up by Louisa May Alcott, the author of the popular classic ‘Little Women’.
“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.”
Let us start to create work and lies balanve together now.
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