I love my work. I have wanted to be a lawyer since I was 8. I grew up in Bundaberg (around 80,000 pop) and all I wanted was to live in the city. My dad worked his butt of to pay for a private high school and I did what I had to in order to get through uni. At times I worked two jobs and I somehow find time to study. I am thankful for where I am today and for what my dad did in order to guide me to where I am.
I am not about to slack off just because I "made it". I work in a top tier firm and have a fantastic office . I can work long hours at times, but its for a purpose. I will never jeopardise what I have achieved by putting a 830am to 5pm, 1 hour lunch break timetable on my day. But I can work and I can do the hours and keep friends, family and the boyfriend happy. How? I plan. I have a balance and I think everyone can.
Right now I m sitting at the hairdressers and I will be here at least for another 2 hours. I didn't bring my work blackberry, and I don't intend to do any work today. Tomorrow I will do my time sheets, read a through cases from the week and spend some time with my boyfriend and our friends. Everything I do outside of work is a reflection of what I can achieve in work. Reading these cases will give me that extra knowledge, help me maybe bring in some more clients and I can reap the rewards and sit at the hairdressers for 3 hours on a Saturday.
Work is a priority in my life. So are my boyfriend, friends and family. But I make them co-exist. I make it work. I organise my schedule, I plan ahead and I make time for everything. I make sure I contact my friends weekly and I have "Cassa time" too. Granted, I have been known to "schedule in" a call to my dad.
Those who say they don't have a work life balance don't know no to plan. They let work consume their life and they don't choose to make time, or they neglect to make time. Organise yourself and reap the rewards. Work in with others. My boyfriend works early (tradie), and I prefer to go to the gym early. So we get up at the same time, I go to the gym at the same time he goes to work. Then come 6pm I can head home, have dinner with him, relax and if there is pressing work I can do it after that and pre bed.
I have a set bed time but I'm flexible. If I have an urgent matter, or we have a dinner on, I adapt. I don't get upset that there has been changes. I work with it.
Everyone can have a balance if they try and if they want to. If you don't make time for other things, that's your fault. Organise your day and sort yourself out. Only you can change that.
Decide what you want in life and how you are going to make it happen.
Now, go and get your calendar and start now. Balance is there and balance is achievable.
Some quotes to get you motivated:
“If you commit to giving more time than you have to spend, you will constantly be running from time debt collectors.”
― Elizabeth Grace Saunders, The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: Achieve More Success with Less Stress: Foreword by Cal Newport, Author of So Good They Can't Ignore You
“A true balance between work and life comes with knowing that your life activities are integrated, not separated.”
