Managing that work/life balance
We all hear about how important it is to have a work/life balance. I’ve had employers that practically make it a motto – but then pile the assignments on and expect you to magically find that work-life balance while giving you 80+ hours of work to get done in a week. Sound familiar?
Depending on how many other things are in your life, this can be a constant balancing act. Do you get that (fill in the blank – presentation/documentation/system configuration) project done, or do you spend time with your family and do those things that are important in your life?
A coworker once observed: “No one will ever ask you when you are dying if you spent enough time working.” A sobering thought, but its often easier to put off tomorrow what you aren’t able to do today, particularly when that comes to balancing everything you think you need to do.
Sometimes events can wake us up. Working 12 hours a day may become less important when a personal crisis hits (or perhaps you’ll want to work more to not have to think about that crisis). Or when someone close to you has an illness or accident … your perspectives may change when you suddenly need to become a primary caretaker, or a parent has a stroke. Or when your kids grow up and you realize it’s now too late to play catch with them or go to that school concert or game.
While this topic is a bit off the beaten path for the Microsoft subnet, I think its important to consider. Hindsight is generally 20/20 – but perhaps now is a good time to take stock of your life and look at that work/life balance – and see if you’re handling it in a way you won’t regret later.
