Balancing Work and Life
Balancing Work and Life
Some of us, for example, are looking for ways to spend more time with our families, even if we~{!/~}re working during much of the time we~{!/~}re doing so. Others seek to make their work embody their values, fulfill a personal myth, or express unique talents. Still others want to live in a particular place or in a particular way, and create their own businesses to support these aspirations.
These are aspirations that can be fulfilled. Parents, for example, are returning to their households in force, without giving up their second source of income. Houses are increasingly becoming places where goods and services are produced, not simply places on which money is spent. Even though much of this activity is made possible by the computer~{!*~}that icon of modernity~{!*~}we are, in some respects, returning to the pre-modern home in which work and family life were carried on incessantly, inseparably, and by every member of the household.
We may, however, underestimate how radical a change this is. Most of us have been accustomed to a clear distinction between work and family life. We feel that we have the right to reward ourselves for our labors, often by making our private lives and our leisure activities more elaborate. When there is no clear demarcation, work intrudes on private life at the most inopportune moments. Conversely, if we~{!/~}re not careful, the obligations we feel to family and friends can decimate our productive time.
Moreover, the very technology that makes it possible for many of us to work on our own~{!*~}email, cell phones, fax machines~{!*~}tends to make everything in our business lives more urgent. Our clients and customers are increasingly able to find us any time and anywhere, and they expect an instantaneous response. Even employees complain nowadays that they are never off the job. But for entrepreneurs, the problem is even more acute.
The very advantages of the lives we have chosen can often present some of the most pressing problems. It is good to be with one~{!/~}s children, but often their needs conflict with what has to be done. Many of us like the convenience and cost savings of working from our homes, but we must guard against the business taking over all our home life. In an ideal world, our businesses would all have rooms of their own with doors that can be closed when we leave to live the rest of our lives. More often, though, work invades personal space like a particularly aggressive fast-growing weed. We must be vigilant, or else we will be hopelessly entangled.
Finding the proper balance between work life and private life is something with which all independent business persons must grapple. Some believe in drawing a clear line between the two, but that~{!/~}s easier said than done. Not many of us can simply ignore a ringing telephone. It could be the next big opportunity. It could be a family emergency. We answer the phone and are often derailed from what we planned to be doing. To be able to ignore a ringing telephone, is, I have concluded, the beginning of sanity.
Many are looking for something even more elusive, an integration of work life with personal desires. This requires being clear about what we expect from our work and our life. Both need, in some way, to be compromised in order to reach the optimum result. It can be tough to find exactly the right mix.
Friends and family members raise other issues. Often they don~{!/~}t realize how different our lives are from theirs. Because they view houses as places of leisure, they confuse working at home with not working. They may also see the flexibility we seek as entrepreneurs as an indication that what we do isn~{!/~}t serious. When, for example, there is an emergency involving an aging parent, the self-employed sibling is often able to be first on the scene. But your employed brothers and sisters might also expect you to see the crisis through to the end. After all, they have jobs to return to, and they believe you don~{!/~}t.
At times, it seems impossible to find a balance between work and private life. Bear in mind, though, that this is probably why you went into business for yourself in the first place.
Balancing Work and Life - To learn more about this author, visit James Chan's Website.
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Most of us become entrepreneurs for reasons of our own. We are trying to integrate our lives and our livelihoods in a way that fits us better than the ready-made careers offered in the employment market.
Some of us, for example, are looking for ways to spend more time with our families, even if we~{!/~}re working during much of the time we~{!/~}re doing so. Others seek to make their work embody their values, fulfill a personal myth, or express unique talents. Still others want to live in a particular place or in a particular way, and create their own businesses to support these aspirations.
These are aspirations that can be fulfilled. Parents, for example, are returning to their households in force, without giving up their second source of income. Houses are increasingly becoming places where goods and services are produced, not simply places on which money is spent. Even though much of this activity is made possible by the computer~{!*~}that icon of modernity~{!*~}we are, in some respects, returning to the pre-modern home in which work and family life were carried on incessantly, inseparably, and by every member of the household.
We may, however, underestimate how radical a change this is. Most of us have been accustomed to a clear distinction between work and family life. We feel that we have the right to reward ourselves for our labors, often by making our private lives and our leisure activities more elaborate. When there is no clear demarcation, work intrudes on private life at the most inopportune moments. Conversely, if we~{!/~}re not careful, the obligations we feel to family and friends can decimate our productive time.
Moreover, the very technology that makes it possible for many of us to work on our own~{!*~}email, cell phones, fax machines~{!*~}tends to make everything in our business lives more urgent. Our clients and customers are increasingly able to find us any time and anywhere, and they expect an instantaneous response. Even employees complain nowadays that they are never off the job. But for entrepreneurs, the problem is even more acute.
The very advantages of the lives we have chosen can often present some of the most pressing problems. It is good to be with one~{!/~}s children, but often their needs conflict with what has to be done. Many of us like the convenience and cost savings of working from our homes, but we must guard against the business taking over all our home life. In an ideal world, our businesses would all have rooms of their own with doors that can be closed when we leave to live the rest of our lives. More often, though, work invades personal space like a particularly aggressive fast-growing weed. We must be vigilant, or else we will be hopelessly entangled.
Finding the proper balance between work life and private life is something with which all independent business persons must grapple. Some believe in drawing a clear line between the two, but that~{!/~}s easier said than done. Not many of us can simply ignore a ringing telephone. It could be the next big opportunity. It could be a family emergency. We answer the phone and are often derailed from what we planned to be doing. To be able to ignore a ringing telephone, is, I have concluded, the beginning of sanity.
Many are looking for something even more elusive, an integration of work life with personal desires. This requires being clear about what we expect from our work and our life. Both need, in some way, to be compromised in order to reach the optimum result. It can be tough to find exactly the right mix.
Friends and family members raise other issues. Often they don~{!/~}t realize how different our lives are from theirs. Because they view houses as places of leisure, they confuse working at home with not working. They may also see the flexibility we seek as entrepreneurs as an indication that what we do isn~{!/~}t serious. When, for example, there is an emergency involving an aging parent, the self-employed sibling is often able to be first on the scene. But your employed brothers and sisters might also expect you to see the crisis through to the end. After all, they have jobs to return to, and they believe you don~{!/~}t.
At times, it seems impossible to find a balance between work and private life. Bear in mind, though, that this is probably why you went into business for yourself in the first place.
Balancing Work and Life - To learn more about this author, visit James Chan's Website.
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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