Archive for the ‘Work Life Balance’ tag
Obesity & Executive Management
Successful?
Have you ever seen a slim, fit, athletic manager, executive or director? Me neither. Have a good look around – news articles in the paper, online, always with a photo of ‘some’ CEO who just closed a big deal, no need to ask who ate all the pies.
And there it is, you’re that much of a success that you don’t have time to eat properly, exercise or get a ray of sunshine during the day? I think someone should evaluate how loosely we use the term ‘success’.
The corporate ladder is a funny one, its own little world. You’re a team player, a company man.
In my previous job, my next step up in a few years would have been a project manager; making the tough calls, running the job, reporting to my bosses about the project cash-flow, and ultimately being the first in line to be shot. Inspirational stuff.
Before I entered the working world, I decided I’d like to be a project manager – all that control, looking after the job, the smooth operation of things. I was quick to discover that it meant excessive responsibility, living the job, no time off and in the end devoting your life to the company and project.
I’ll harp on about this, because I am so perplexed that someone who’s supposedly been educated can become so brainwashed and removed from reality. To be honest, I’m also so passionate about this work/life conundrum because I used to be so hell bent on a career path.
You’re special!
Working within a company structure, you’d be surprised to find that you’re just another name in an organisational chart, replaceable and interchangeable. The further you travel up the company ladder, the harder it will be to climb back down.
Now a lot of the guys I used to work with out on the construction sites were a good bunch of guys, but picture your typical construction workers. Not the healthiest brood around, it was the norm, work 11 hours, shovel in a couple of pies during the day and then head to the pub at night time, repeat. It was a social norm that most of the older hands were on heart medication, blood pressure tablets, and cholesterol medication. Not once was the thought to exercise, eat well and have a break from work. People (management, workers, anyone) are willing to put their own health and safety before stepping back and taking the pedal off the gas?
If you remember way back when you first enrolled in the joys of the working world, you worked to live, not the other way around. It will all become a grey mash-up of job/career/life/work. You stupid JERLK.
The ‘career’ might be fit for some of us, if you enjoy the job then why not. But if you want to climb the corporate ladder then don’t worry about the MBA or extra-curricular study, here’s an easy how-to;
- Carry several documents under one arm when walking through the office,
- Look slightly angry around the office, people will think you’re busy,
- If you work in front of a computer, shake your head a lot, the odd fist slamming against your desk won’t hurt,
- Casually greeting your bosses doesn’t hurt, a bit of bravado and confidence will get you everywhere,
- Most superiors/managers/executives are hot air factories, say yes a lot and stroke their ego’s,
- Don’t get caught playing solitaire too much,
- Learn a few ‘office buzzwords’ Refer to Corporate Fluff for the game ‘Wank-word Bingo’.
So there you have it, you could be a manager in no time at all. One thing that I won’t be forgetting too soon is the conversation I had with one of my managers when I resigned. A human resources ‘manager’ was also present. After explaining how I wanted to take a brief sabbatical from the working world, explore my options, maybe travel a bit etc. the HR manager present offered me counselling sessions! So the concept of taking an extended break from work is that far removed from the corporate world psych that I probably have a screw loose?
God help us all.
The Work Life Balance
Work
What are you working for? If you had the choice, if someone paid your bills and expenses would you still go to ‘work’? No one within their right mind would prefer to go to spend their time trapped in the cubicle, or wearing ‘that’ uniform, digging holes, standing at the check-out…
You could be stuck in the 9 – 5, the daily grind. The sad thing is, some people are actually envious of the 40 hour work week, as they’re working ridiculous overtime as it is!
Before I dive into this article, I’d like to qualify ‘work’ as the drudgery, the place you’d least like to be. Some of us are lucky enough to enjoy our jobs and don’t see it as work at all, congratulations to you small few as you’ve already got the work/life balance sorted out. As for the rest of us…
I’ve come to discover it is definitely all about the journey and you should be spending your time doing what you want. Sure work is a must for some but it should be an 8 hour inconvenience to your day (if that), not the be all and end all. Life is all about the 1% moments.
Life
I’m more confused than ever, as people look forward to their 4 week annual holiday. 4 weeks? You’ve worked for 48 weeks, to be rewarded with 4 weeks of your own time? Don’t you see something wrong with that? Wouldn’t it be nice to have more time off, more often?
It’s taken me three full time jobs and a university degree to realize the working world is not for me. I get laughed at when I say I wouldn’t mind retiring next year (by retire, I mean retire from being ‘employed’). People comment that they’d ‘get bored’. Now they’re usually my friends or work colleagues, but seriously, is your life that boring that you need to have someone else give you a set of mundane tasks for 8 – 10 hours of the day to fill it up? You can’t entertain yourself for more than a few hours a night?
One of my good friends and I quite often have a laugh about trying to increase the ‘hobbies and interests’ component of our lives. I’ve taken great pride in being able to introduce friends to kayaking, golf, beers, anything! There’s plenty to do. There’s plenty that you don’t know how to do, so learn it!?
I’m not saying that throwing the towel in at work is the answer, but at least remember why you’re working in the first place. It’s not because you’re trying to increase profits for the share holders, it’s not because you love your company, it’s so you can fund your lifestyle. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to de-couple your time from your income?
Balance
Look around you. Everyone is ‘too busy’. Too busy doing what? Writing reports, filing, sending emails, reading blogs!? I’m not religious at all, but I do believe in the minimalist. De-clutter your life, your time, possessions, even to the point of your associates and commitments. Focus on what and who is important to you. For a wake-up call you definitely need, read Steve Pavlina’s blog on why you shouldn’t be working for anyone but yourself and that being employed is the dumbest way to make money! And after you’ve read that and you’re either seething with rage or disgusted at yourself as Steve points out how you’ve been begging for scooby snacks your whole working life then grab yourself a copy of Tim Ferriss’s ‘Four Hour Work Week’ which will help you get out of the rat race and onto bigger and better things.
Whether you’re a lowly paid office grunt, a manager, a cleaner, nurse or garbage man, if you’re employed you are getting paid for your time. If you put in big 16 hour days in the office, congratulations, you’ve been giving yourself a 50% pay cut! It’s no wonder your bosses love you, you’re cheap labour!
In the overall scheme of the work life balance, you’re aim should be to increase the ‘life’ quota. Educate yourself, I’m sure you’ve met my friend Google, knock yourself out.
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