The Truth About Work - Life Balance

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Years back my brother-in-law shared Jack Welch's best-seller, Winning.

One of the topics covered was about work-life balance. Welch states that there are no such thing as work-life balance. In my opinion there is no 50-50 work-life balance only a carefully allocated portions base on one's priorities do exist.

So how are we going to make our lives worthwhile?

In today's fast paced lifestyle, everybody seem to crunch work and then have a long vacation and then back to work and long vacation. Others chose to work with several easy jobs so that they can just be relaxed at work, and some work for a long time and then take a year long vacation going around the world telling everyone that he or she is soul searching or looking for answers in other parts of the world with a different environment and culture.

If those are the means for you to achieve a good combination of work-life then that is your work life balance. But using those ways seems forgetting the people around you. You are not alone in your life. Maybe you have  a wife, a son or daughter, or your aging parents to look after. Would it be okay to just leave them in order for you to find you? 

Again life is much more of a priority. The world is filled with different people with diverse beliefs and opinion which makes it a good and bad place. Also life is not a cozy bed where we can lie down and look up in our ceiling wondering whats next. Life is an ongoing activity whether you like it or not. If we don't keep up we will be left behind.

In order to really have that work-life balance you have to make your priorities list and your sacrifice list. Priorities should include ones that are important to you. If you passing a board exam before you turn 30 or getting married before you turn 35 is important to you then make it your priority. Every priority comes with sacrifice that is why you have a list of things you have to sacrifice to achieve your priority.

One more thing these priorities and sacrifice list are not permanent. That is the beauty of it. So from time to time you got to sit down and assess your priorities and sacrifice list and make changes as necessary in order to achieve that work-life balance formula.... its never a 50-50 thing so make the most of it.

ACTION STEPS

The earlier you start these list the better. Time is always a game changer that is why preparing things ahead makes you confident enough to make it in life.

Schedule A Weekly or Monthly Date With Your Wife or Husband or Significant Other

You know who does this. Yup Bo Sanchez does this. 

Now why do I suggest it?

source: http://www.prevention.com

Once one enters married life the sweetness and the romantic life you had when you were still in the courting and going steady stage will surely disappear. Of course as a married couple you are face with many things like payment for your house, your daily chores, if you have a baby already, your relationship with in-laws, and other stuff. 

With the busy life we have now a days there's no more time for the "sweet" times. You both go to work to have enough money to pay for the bills, your spouse may have to be busy with the house chores since from Monday to Friday both of you are at work and when weekend comes you are both task to either do the laundry, clean or grass cut the yard, fix the broken toilet, look after the kids since they are not in school.  In the first place you got married so that both of you can live and go to bed together but in reality it gets hard to be together when you are face with so many responsibilities.

That is why I suggest that you schedule a weekly or monthly date with your spouse. 

Remember the old days?

source: http://www.romanceways.com

Why not ask your in-laws to watch over the kids on one Saturday so that you two can watch the latest movie(well before you might be watching the romantic movies but at this stage I suggest you watch something you two have been wanting to watch like the new horror movie or the latest action movie). Or if your finances and if your in laws really don't mind taking care of your cute babies go to a weekend overnight at a hotel and relive your honeymoon.

I am not yet married but why do I suggest such idea?

The truth is as the priest's homily today, Good Shepherd Sunday, we have to know each other not only physically but also the whole aspect. Maybe she or he is your wife/husband but as time passes you might be living with someone you completely know nothing about. You have to bond with this person whom you promise to live to richer or poorer, in sickness and in health forever. 

Your wife may have some personal problems which she has not been telling you because she thinks it might burden the relationship or the husband might have some things in the office that would require him to spend more time and all these days the wife just nags about him not coming home early.

Simple matters in marriage sometimes go off hand and at times are bloated that it ends the marriage. This idea might be boring or so high school for some but this is actually a good way to strengthen marriage. You got to reconnect or bond to the person you have made promise to live with forever.

ACTION STEPS

Talk to your wife or husband and plan this date. At first it might be awkward  but eventually you would look forward for this. Talk a lot on this dates and strengthen your marriage

Outlining: Making A Clear Picture Of What You Want To Achieve

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Have you ever started a project without any plans to follow and end up not making the deadline?

Planning is an essential part of any endeavor we undergo. In businesses they have this yearly meetings to plan for the company's operation for the next couple of years. For organizations everything is carefully plan ironing any crease to make a fund raising, awards, or competition finals very successful. Plans are detailed guide on how one will achieve a project and thus it is not so cool if you just want to have small event in your backyard or a small project like a 25 page pdf presentation or an e-book.

That is why I suggest you make an outline to see the big picture of the project.

I have a project e-book about stock investing in the Philippines(click here to learn more about it). I have  clear picture in my mind what it is, what it should contain, and how it should look. So I begin typing thoughts that came to mind for the subject matter using Ommwriter. 

Excited with the idea of having a book that would tell what a beginner in stock investing should know, I just wrote and wrote what ever pops hoping to make the edits later. I was supposed to finish the book in 1-2 months but the book ended postponing it several times because ideas in the book don't match or not in order. I thought about it and finally made an outline what the book should look like. From their I was able to sort it out and even take out several chapters of the e-book and writing new chapters to better present it to my intended audience.

It is important to capture your current thoughts specially if it is one of those "light bulb" moments but always remember that in order to finish something you got to stick to the plan which is best made concrete with an outline. It serves as your map when you get lost while doing your project. When you got sidetract you will know by looking back at your outline and thus be able to avert a disaster.

Don't worry about your great ideas for the project. You can always write them on another sheet of paper and when going to your outline you might need it in case there is a need to fill in gaps in your outline.

ACTION STEPS
Don't look at an outline like a boring to do list. You should look at it as your master plan in a page. Keep it within reach and treat it like the one pager of your whole work.

Making an Effective House Budget

source: http://getfinanceadvice.blogspot.com

The house budget, I am not referring to the nation's fiscal budget, is a very important matter which the family has to decide upon. Most of the time it is left to the wise decision of the parents and at times when you have an extended family or if your siblings are already working they too have a voice in preparing the budget.

So how could a family maximize their limited combined income so that all are covered in the House Budget?

There are three things to consider when preparing a House budget and these are:

• Necessities
• Wants
• Income

If you noticed I listed the above considerations in a reverse manner but such have a purpose. In order to really cover everything the family should sit as a family without excluding anyone. By that I mean you have to have each member aware that their voice will be heard and that any contribution that will lead to a better way of spending the family's limited income will be appreciated. 

source: http://www.sheknows.com

Also having the family talk as a whole is a good way and time to explain specially to kids and teenagers why the family or "mom and dad" can't buy some of the stuffs they have been wanting. By this exercise you are making them aware that due to limited financial means their small wants have to be set aside for a while up until mom and dad can afford or have extra cash to spend on such.  

source: http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk

By the way let me clear what is a budget since most have a different and varied idea about it. In economics or finance, budget simply means the amount or resources to which a company or business will work on in order to achieve its goal. Applying that to a family, budget is the finances needed to make the   family running and achieve goals like having kids graduate from school, paying up mortgages, having food at the table, and splurge or reward itself with a grand vacation.

Now with those on mind you will now understand why I listed necessities first. These are the survival or "cant be taken out" from one's daily expenses. Food budget is a must but we have to qualify or limit ourselves first to the food that is needed in order for every member of the family to live healthy. Ice creams and cakes can be discuss on the second considerations. 

source: http://brianallmerradionetwork.wordpress.com

List all the things the family as a whole needs and each individual needs to live a decent day to day life. Check out redundant items and finalize this list. I guess this list would include food, clothing, power or electricity, mortgage if you haven't paid up your home or car yet, and specially tuition for your children's schooling.

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Next list down what the family wants. Start from the simple wants like ice cream to the grandest wants like a grand vacation in the Bahamas or Hawaii. This list though a not so good list because it entails spending still has a purpose in your budgeting.

source: http://www.appgelectoralreform.org

The last consideration would be your income sources. 

List down where you get the money to finance your needs. This could be mom and dad's salary, income from your family business, income from investments, if your son or daughter or sibling or any other person considered family is under your roof and is earning money and would gladly contribute then it should also be included. With the figure in this list compare it to the cost you have to spend for your necessities. Here you have to bargain or make wise decisions where to allocate limited funds to keep the household well and running. In this process you might also have to decrease or even take out one of the necessity line items so that at least you can make it and as they say if your finances can't afford even your necessities then the whole family has to tighten its belt.

Now remember the wants list? 

This list will serve as your motivation list. From the things the family listed as wants choose one or two that won't require much money, this could probably the ice cream on a Sunday dinner or if you as a family would really want to have a vacation at the Bahamas or Hawaii then you can make a savings plan in order to achieve such. Give it a time table and allocate a reasonable amount in order to have that dream vacation.

ACTION STEPS 

In order to have an effective house budget the family should sit down as a family and discuss what really is happening. By that every member would now understand why mommy and daddy cant afford some of their little wants.