[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’][/author_image] [author_info]Workplace: covers the issues and activities of managing the moments of our day-to-day business lives. Some of you may remember the four-year radio program I hosted on the same topic. Let’s explore what affects us every day (or some days) that we go to work.[/author_info] [/author]
School is back in session. Carefree summer days (were they really?) are gone. The balancing of family demands and work continues throughout each calendar year. The last dozen years have seen work-life balance workshops, seminars, and discussions a plenty.
Today’s focus is about acknowledging that family demands can interfere with work. Whether it is having to take time off for family issues and events, or loosing mindshare at work because of family concerns, our work is often negatively affected and our productivity is typically diminished.
Looking for a solution? There is no perfect solution. For those of us who prioritize family, when something is going on with family members we are distracted at the least and needing to take extended time out of the office at the most. For those who prioritize work, later in life they often find themselves regretting the not-attended childhood events that happen only a short time in their/our lives.
The real solution seems to be a juggling act of prioritizing work and family at different times of our lives and based on the demands of each in certain periods of need or project completion. One colleague says “it is a roller-coaster, rather than a merry-go-round.” The key to handling family demands and work is to communicate clearly and be sure that others understand what you are saying. (Yes, plenty of communication classes and books to improve your skills are available from hundreds of sources.)
I invite you, right now, to answer these questions as you push your chair back and stand up.
- Is my week a balancing act of harmony and grace? Or is it a juggling act that has most balls dropping and me feeling miserable?
- Is my off-work time helping my health and feeding my soul? Or is it draining my energy because of the demands on my time from others (people, pets, activities, to-do lists, etc.)?
- What am I going to do tonight and tomorrow to better balance my family demands and my work?
May this C.S. Lewis quote be true for all of us as we juggle, or balance, family demands and work! “There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”