Where are YOU out of Balance? Check our Survey for clues.
Only 2 weeks into the new year and already many men are saying they are having trouble keeping things in balance-especially work/life balance.
Our survey shows some interesting things:
Most of us (52%) tend to work more hours than our job requires
59% of us work more than 40 hours a week because the job requires it
39% of us say work causes us to miss family events
But 67% of us say we get a great deal of satisfaction from work even though it requires long hours
And 69% of us say the primary reason we work hard is to maintain or improve our standard of living
37% of us have had conflicts with our spouse over the number of hours we work
68% of us say we sometimes bring the frustrations of work home with us
26% of us openly admit to being workaholics
Work is truly stressful-especially in these tough times when fear of losing a job makes us more than willing to do the work of two people, taking on the associated stress as well.
There's still time!
It's not too late to re-direct some of your energy this year into your own development. It will make you a better person, a better spouse and a better employee. Think about how you can re-shape your calendar to allow for more meditation and reflection about what really matters in life.
Here are some places to look:
38% of us say we have no close friends with whom we can really "level." 49% of us say we are often too tired to enjoy family time or down time. 54% of us say we feel isolated in our personal life and 37% of us say our spouses do not understand the pressure we are under.
So here are 5 easy things to try that might lighten your load:
- Initiate a discussion with your partner about what is stressing you AND her. Get honest and don't try to be so invulnerable.
- Ask your best friend to be an "accountability partner" to remind you when you seem to be overdoing work or other commitments.
- Get an electronic book reader and download some inspirational books to keep close by when you travel. (You can also download some really good sermons if you like).
- If your dad is still living, re-connect on a more personal level this year. Ask his counsel on work matters, then on personal matters as well. He'll likely appreciate being asked.
- Focus on being "in the moment" with your children and family. Do your best to tune out work and other distractions and just enjoy their presence in your life.
What other ideas do you have? Put them on our blog so others can use them also!
