Many of us get caught up in the business of living. We spend the majority of our time working. The sad reality is that this leaves us very little time for the other areas of our lives. People are desperately seeking a balanced life. Reports of the good old days just seem impossible for our modern worker to achieve.
A short history of work
To understand how our lives have become so hectic let’s look at the history of work. Before the Information Age work was hard, degrading and back breaking. In antiquity hard work was regarded as slave work. The thinkers of the times, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates taught that a man’s purpose was to be enlightened. They believed that work was for the less fortunate not them. The prevailing thoughts of that period was that if you owed someone you were their slave. As a slave you would have performed the work and you would not be capable of thinking or being enlightened.
Fast forwarding into the 19th century work moved from the agricultural and home crafts into the factories. Machines were replacing home craft makers and the promise of abundance enticed the farmers to populate the cities where they found steady factory work. The Industrial Age was born and the immigration into cities changed our definition of the good life.
During the 20th to 21st centuries work has drastically changed. We are experiencing another drastic shift in our definition of work as we strive to have a strong work-life balance. In 1937 the all time classic book by Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich” was published. In this book Mr. Hill explains, “If you are one of those who believe that hard work and honesty, alone, will bring riches, perish the thought! It is not true! Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the results of hard work! Riches come, if they come at all, in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.”
This book was written during the Great Depression being published as the country sprung out of this devastating time. Note that the mongers of the time knew of the great principles Mr. Hill describes. The mass population did not.
The Information Age brought along the innovation of today and the stresses from being available instantly. We no longer have privacy as our personal and work time have blended into a blur.
The 5 steps for creating a balanced life
With the appreciation that the good old days were really not so good here are five steps to design and balance your work life for today.
- Make a list of all the things you want. Many people will talk about things they want or would like to be or do and they rarely put these on paper. Putting them on paper gives you a 99% better chance of achievement.
- Review this list and sort them based on these three areas, relationships, self, and work. Life fulfillment occurs when this three legged stool is in balance.
- Note why you want these things. The why is the motivation for all accomplishments.
- Recognize that you must spend quality time in each of the important areas of your life. These areas include career or business, finances, accomplishments, recreation, family, friends, health, personal and spiritual development.
- Decide how you will or can divide your time among all of the important areas of your life. Work life balance does not mean you are spending equal time in each of these areas.
Tags: Life Balance, Work Life, Work Life Balance
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