Work Life Balance - Measurements !

While tackling any issue, we do need to start with a way to clearly measure the current state. Set a goal for the end state.

Some thing that can be validated against. And then make an action plan. Very engineer like .. really !!

So, before delving in to the preaching ;) part, lets take a moment on how to identify how much balance each one of us have.

In traditional sense, "work" is something we do to earn something to have a "life" that we want.

In the process, sometimes "work" becomes the "life". Mainly because it becomes and addiction, or we get caught in a never ending rat race.

So, to measure work life balance, we need to talk to people, who we work with and who we have the life with.

A lot of us remain content by just looking at our own sense of balance. Which is not the right metrics.

Many occasions I ve seen the working spouse boasting how much he or she helps out with household chores and kids. And more time, we have seen the non-working spouse shouting back, that thats not the case.

Many times we see ourselves complaining we do so much work, while our boss or peers not really thinking that way.

So the measurement should start with by talking to others, not to oneself. In most of the cases where one is successful at work, they get hooked / addicted to some level. And they develop a blind spot to their non-work portion, without their active knowledge. They think their life is cool. But its not so, if others who one supposed have the life with are not cool.

@ Work - watch peers, watch successful people, watch unsuccessful people around you at work. Watch they manage their time or don't manage their time.

Create a baseline.

@Life - See if you spouse / partner / relatives / friends / kids others are content with your involvement or not.

Take a piece of paper and write down if you know 10 people, outside of your work and relatives. People you can call up anytime. Go to their houses and have impromptu get together and have fun.

So, looking for the right sources to get your data about your work - life balance provides the best measurement of it.

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Next - Setting a goal !