Getting Life Balance

Many are questioning the current definition of success—people who no longer see climbing the organisational ladder as worth the all-consuming energy it requires in most workplaces. In fact, many people are opting out of mainstream employment because their work does not give them the satisfaction or lifestyle that they want.

Others are staying in these organisations but are doing the hard work necessary to change themselves and their organisational culture. Either way, these people are choosing a life as well as a career, and are no longer willing to make work their sole or even their main priority.

Organisational surveys are showing a growing trend in employees towards seeking work and personal life balance. Research in the US found that over three-quarters of employees would choose increased flexibility even at the cost of career advancement. Over 50 percent would turn down a promotion if it meant spending less time with their families. Further, a survey of a large high-tech US company found that work and life balance was the second most critical factor in keeping the top 10 percent of their performers.

Finding balance in our lives means giving ourselves the opportunity to reach our potential as human beings. Not being in balance is like being shut off from oneself. It is living the life of a one-dimensional being, which on the outside can appear to be successful, but on the inside looks different. Once the busy-ness stops, only a hollow sadness of lost opportunity pervades.

Most people are fortunate enough to have the potential for a healthy vital body, a growing, intelligent mind, spiritual fulfillment, career and financial success, caring, loving relationships, making a contribution to our communities and so on. Yet many fail to take advantage of that potential. Achieving balance in our lives is hard work, it takes constant effort, and there may be a price to pay. But the rewards are immeasurable.

What do you want? What do you truly value? How can you bring about changes in your life and at your workplace if you are not clear about what you want yourself?

To decide if flexible workplace practices will help you achieve a successful, balanced life, you must clarify what it is you want to achieve and make a plan to attain this. Such a plan will be unique to you and will depend on your circumstances and stage of life.

First, allow yourself the time and solitude needed to make a plan. We tend to spend more time planning a holiday than we do planning our lives. It is important to get our priorities right!

In his lectures on the ‘Future of Work’, futurist Robert Theobold recommended that we set aside time for renewal at work. He believes that we are so overloaded we never finish what we ought to do anyway. The purpose of this reflection is to better understand what motivates us to act in the ways we do and the impact our actions have on others around us—time out for self-discovery and for listening to ourselves.

If flexible workplace practices are going to work for you, the issue needs to be more than just ‘I want the time’. You need to decide how you will make the best use of this valuable time to achieve the balance that you want in your life.

Some best-practice organisations are now assisting employees to develop a personal life plan to consider how they can achieve their work and personal goals. Such organisations realise that the attainment of organisational objectives is a function of people achieving their personal objectives.

To help people achieve their work and personal goals, we have developed an e-learning program that provides a step-by-step life planning and cash-flow planning process. You can access a demonstration of this exciting one hour e-program, called “Your Life – Your Money! Making your life work for you”, at http://flexibility.com.au/bookandtape.html

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