When I ask people in workshops, of all ages and at all levels, what they don’t like about their jobs, invariably they complain, rote style, about the lack of work-life balance. Bemoaning lack of balance has become a national pastime, especially at New Year’s resolution time. But I (and I suspect many others) am tired of the hand-wringing. These complaints of overwhelming busyness sound like a reflexive Canadian whinge.

Devastating, crushing busyness is not a force of nature, like nasty weather, something bad that happens over which we have no control. In fact, you do have some control. If you are valued, you can say, “No, I don’t have time to do that.”

Moreover, the search for the holy grail of balance implies there is such a thing as the well-balanced life. Just as there is no perfect weight-loss plan, there isn’t a perfectly prescribed life that will meet all needs. No one can say, for example, that you need a certain number of “calories” from different sources – family, friends, recreational, spiritual – to have the ideal life.

The sentiment that we don’t have enough time to do things that are important to us is, of course, very real. The key is to reappraise the problem and to think about and pursue what you need to feel good about your life. Here are some ideas:

Forget the pursuit of balance. If you reflect on times when you were happiest and most engaged, chances are your life was wildly out of balance: Other things fell by the wayside because you were consumed by something important to you, whether it was a project or a child. Things that completely engage us make us feel good about our lives. Focus on these activities.

Identify what is important. Right now, what do you care about most: time and energy for work, or your personal life? Many parents who work outside the home tend to answer, “My personal life.” But be honest. You aren’t a bad parent, or person, if your work is very important. Many parents say that without interesting and demanding work they would be bored, which wouldn’t be good for their kids. That doesn’t mean they are indifferent parents; if their children were sick or needed them, they would become top priority. If you have difficulty identifying what is most important, imagine yourself 10 years down the road: Which decisions would you be most proud of, and which would you most regret?

Know where your presence is most valued. If you put your work first, over the long-term, how much will your family suffer relative to that of your career, and vice versa? And how much do you care about either outcome? It is a fact of contemporary organizational life that if you put family first, you may not get that promotion. That said, in my research with hundreds of midlife women, only one regretted having put her children first; she felt she paid too high a price in terms of career advancement, with no extra benefits to the kids. On the other hand, many successful women who looked back on their careers cited forgoing a promotion in favour of family time, as being among their proudest achievements.

Be engaged, wherever you are. Many older parents say they remember little about their kids growing up because while they were with them in body, in spirit they were composing e-mails or planning a project. Focus on work when at work, personal things when at home. If you can’t set boundaries or compartmentalize your thoughts, ask yourself why these other things are competing for your attention. Is it because you really should act on them, or because you are bored with what you are doing?

Stop playing the guilt game. Many women express feelings of guilt when they are really just trying to avoid the disapproval of others. For example, when asked about business travel, they will tell friends how guilty they feel being away from home, but privately think, as one mother put it: “How cool is this? Lying in bed, a glass of wine, room service, no kids fighting.” Guilt is what we feel when we violate our moral standards; if you are really feeling guilty, change your behaviour.

Think life chapters. You can never have it all at any given time. It is almost impossible to spend quality time with kids, at the gym, with friends and family, and still have enough time and energy to devote to climbing the corporate ladder. Consider which needs you want to focus on in this chapter of your life; you will have ample opportunity to satisfy other desires in later chapters.

Forget easy solutions. You may have to make some tough decisions, such as giving up a plum assignment if it conflicts with family time, or vice versa. But no one ever said everything should be easy. Feel good about what you are getting, instead of mourning what you are giving up.

Be steadfast. Keep your desires front and centre. Don’t second-guess yourself. Don’t allow parents or friends or co-workers to make you feel guilty about your choices.

Accept less than perfect. Don’t play the hero, trying to meet impossible expectations to be perfect in every role – parent, partner, boss, employee, friend. Avoid competing in the parent wars: Don’t believe people when they boast about how they spend quality time with their kids and partners, are scampering up the work ladder, entertain extensively, and work out every day. They are either lying, deluded, or on speed.

Barbara Moses, PhD, is a speaker, organizational career management consultant and the author of Dish: Midlife Women Tell the Truth about Work, Relationships and the Rest of Life. Website: bmoses.com

Source: The Globe and Mail

More small business owners are now giving their employees the option to work from home in order to help them balance their work and personal responsibilities, according to a survey conducted for Telstra Business by IDC.

The report revealed that six out 10 small businesses allow their staff to work from home. In fact, 35% of small businesses have the majority of their staff working out of the office than within it and 75% have employees using laptops, while 55% have some using smartphones for work.

“The lines between home and office are increasingly blurred – in fact a large proportion of our customer base actually works from home,” Telstra Business group managing director Deena Shiff said in a press release.

“And they’re not what you might imagine a home-based business to be. Usually we’re talking about fast-growing start-ups playing a vital role in our economy. They are using the internet to target their products and services to a global market.

“Other research we have run has shown they are often run by women who have set up their own businesses to conveniently re-enter the workforce or to escape corporate life. Similarly, we’re seeing people setting up regional-based businesses as they seek a sea-change or tree-change escape.”

Small fish business coach Kristian Reiss stressed the importance for both small business owners and employees to find time for both work and personal commitments.

“We have to remember that we have other roles and responsibilities outside of work – think parent, partner, volunteering, hobbies, sport or the environment, to name a few,” he said. “Without getting too spiritual, we are trying to create harmony in our lives, and ‘work’ is, and can only ever be, just one element. If we focus on just one element at the expense of others for too long, things can become a bit unbalanced.”

However, while technology can play help employers and their staff adopt more flexible work practices, there are disadvantages to being contactable via email or mobile phone at all times, added Reiss. For example, quickly responding to emails or taking phone calls can be an interruption outside of work hours.

“We need to make sure we are in control of the technology, and not the other way around,” he suggested.

Lifestyle businesses are becoming more popular. The idea is that an individual can create a business that allows for their choice of lifestyle, as well as funds it. Whether the founder’s priority is to travel, have flexible hours or pursue some other passion on the side, lifestyle businesses can be incredibly attractive.

The growing lifestyle business movement has an impact on more than just those people ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship. It can also present a staff retention issue for businesses: For every employee wanting to start a lifestyle business, an employer risks losing a valuable team member. However, by taking some of the elements that make lifestyle businesses so attractive, such as freedom and flexibility, and offering them to their employees, employers can mitigate that risk.

Why Not “Lifestyle Employment?”

Some organizations, particularly those that rely on employees who might be likely to pursue a lifestyle business, could profit by offering “lifestyle employment.” It would need to offer the same sort of benefits as a lifestyle business, such as flexibility, and perhaps consist of telecommuting and flexible work arrangements. But, crucially, lifestyle employment can guarantee a stable income — something a fledgling lifestyle business cannot.

Employers should be considering this staff retention issue. There’s a good chance that the best employees — those who take the initiative, work creatively and get things done — have already at least considered what it would take to strike out on their own.

Opportunities

Providing lifestyle employment-style benefits is not just a question of keeping your employees happy and productive — although that’s certainly a major consideration. Look at the reasons employees might leave to start a lifestyle business; those reasons can present opportunities for an employer if used creatively in a lifestyle employment arrangement. For example, perhaps a particular employee’s passion is travel. Making sure that individual has the opportunity to trot the globe as he pleases could mean he’ll bring you new ideas, new clients and new opportunities you’ve never heard of.

Thinking in terms of lifestyle employment may be a stretch for many organizations. But done right — giving your employees some of the freedom they’re looking for along with a little information on how they can use that freedom to your advantage — it may make a world of difference in your business.

Photo courtesy Flickr user Paull Young

Source:  Gigaom

Companies must offer older employees flexible work hours and conditions to keep them in the workforce, according to a leading Australian organisational psychologist speaking tomorrow at the 9th Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference in Brisbane. 
Associate Professor Margaret Patrickson, of the University of South Australia, says that older workers who can make a staged exit from work often enjoy better mental, physical and financial health than those who retire suddenly but few are offered the flexible working conditions that would allow them to achieve this.

She said: “Older workers are forced to rely on the flexible working policies designed for parents of young children, but these are not often made available by companies. As a result many workers are forced into casual or low-paid work, which does not take advantage of the skills and experience they have.”

The failure to take advantage of the expertise and energy of those older Australians who want to remain in work has been reported to cost the Australian economy an estimated $10.8 billion each year.

But Associate Professor Patrickson says that despite Government policies to minimise the economic cost of the ageing population by keeping those aged over 55 in work, employers are failing to keep pace because of ingrained prejudices about older workers. Professor Patrickson says: “Many employers have an unfair perception that older workers lack initiative and are not as up-to-date or dedicated. These views are deeply entrenched and we must challenge them.”

The number of Australians aged 85 and over is expected to quadruple by 2050, according to the Australian Government, with those aged over 65 representing a quarter of the population, up from 13 per cent today.

Another psychologist presenting at the conference, Dr Hannes Zacher, of the University of Queensland, says older workers are increasingly facing the challenge of caring for elderly parents and need their employers to do more to accommodate them.

Dr Zacher’s research shows that employees who believe that their employers care for them and support them in their caregiving responsibilities reported better mental health and, regardless of gender, higher levels of work engagement.

Source:
Australian Psychological Society Ltd.

Medical News Today

Switching off from work is something many of us find difficult. We want the work-life balance but can find our minds are still consumed with thoughts of work when we are not there. Here are some tips to help you switch off:

1. Create a Ritual

Mark a line in the sand to signal the end of your work day. This is important whether you work from home or away. If you wear a uniform at work, you could change when you arrive home. Having a shower is another great way to wash the work day away. If you have an hour’s commute home you could decide that you will allow yourself time to ruminate over the day and upon arriving at home, you “switch” off. Find some way to delineate the work day from your leisure time.

2. Unplug

Unless it is part of your contract or job, get in the habit of unplugging from work when you are not there. You don’t have to be connected 24/7. Turn off your phone and laptop. We might think that being continuously available is what is expected of us, but often we are the ones who put these expectations on ourselves. If your boss or colleagues do expect you to be at the end of the phone or email outside work, set a new boundary around your home time. Explain what you are doing and how it will work and what you are willing to do, you don’t have to be inflexible. Be clear and assertive. Your actions could help change an unhealthy workplace habit.

3. Create Boundaries

Having friends at work can be a good way to enjoy your time at work and get on in your field, but at times it may be necessary to create boundaries and step back. If you are finding that all of your spare time is spent with people from work it could be time for a re-balance. It is great to get along with your peers but it will make it harder to switch off from work if all of your spare time is spent with them. You could put a night or two aside a week for socializing with workmates and ensure your other evenings are spent with people outside work, doing things unrelated to your job.

4. Create Exciting Plans

Having exciting things planned that you can look forward to outside work makes a big difference to your mindset. If you find it hard to switch off after work, sitting in front of the television all night or talking about how much you dislike your job won’t make things any better. Arrange to meet up with some friends or start a new hobby. Schedule time each week for these plans and make sure you are continually making enjoyable plans outside work.

5. Cultivate Healthy Habits

Cultivating healthy habits like exercise or meditation is a great way to enhance your ability to switch off from work (and other parts of your life if needed) and increase your overall sense of well-being. If you don’t currently exercise, have a look and see what you could do. Even a walk each day can make a huge difference to your ability to switch off — and your overall fitness. Do some research and find out what interests you.

6. Delegate

If you find it hard to ask for help, learn to let go and spread the workload. Trust other people to do a good job while you are not at work. If you are a manager or business owner, train someone in your team that you trust to take the reins when you are not there. If people are trusted and treated well, they will usually step up and impress.

7. Find Work That Fits

When I am doing work that fits and inspires me, I have less to switch off from; being at work becomes enjoyable. Yet when I have done work that isn’t “me” or that I enjoy, there seems to be more to get out of my system at the end of the day and more to unwind from. Find work that you enjoy and that suits you and you’ll have less to switch off from.

8. Work Less

If there is any way you can go part time and work less, it will help you to switch off and have more time for your own pursuits. Something as simple as working out how much you usually earn a day and seeing if you can save that amount elsewhere is a good place to start. If you can find a way to save a day’s earnings per week, it could mean that you could ask to work a four day week without it having an impact on your finances.

How do you switch off from work?

(Image courtesy of eschipul under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 generic license.)

Source: Work Awesome

Gaining approval to telecommute, job share or manage your own schedule can offer huge benefits to staff, and as companies move to cut costs and stay as nimble as possible many workplaces are finally agreeing to more flexible schedules.

But while it solves some problems, it can also cause some for employers. The boss wants face time and many employers aren’t convinced that people will be productive when they’re away from the office.

Their chief concerns are how they can communicate with staff and co-ordinate their output when they are not physically in the building. As a result of these fears, many of them lack a formal policy that would let staff take advantage of flexible working arrangements.

True, there are reports that Australia has a higher proportion of companies offering flexible work arrangements than Asia or the US, but only one in four has any sort of strategy to keep women in senior management – which in turn suggests that the flexibility has its limits.

There are provisions in law for some flexibility at work. Under the National Employment Standards contained in section 65 of the Fair Work Act 2009, an employee who is the parent or has the responsibility for the care of a child may request a change in their work arrangements to assist the employee to care for the child if the child is under school age or is under the age of 18 and has a disability. But obviously that only applies to a select part of the population.

Still, the growing demands of trying to achieve work life balance has created more demand for flexible work schedules. Add to that the findings, as reported here, that Australians spend an average of 27 minutes commuting to work every day and arrive there exhausted, drained and frazzled. Experts have used the study to argue that businesses should consider flexible work practices – including letting people work from home – to reduce stress and create better working relationships.

But staying productive outside a normal office environment does not come easy to everyone but, so how do you convince your boss to give you flexible work options?

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Sue Shellenbarger suggests anticipating the employer’s potential objections. That means spelling out how your performance will be measured and how you will maintain client and co-worker contact.

The NW Jobs site suggests looking carefully at the company’s history and seeing if they have previously allowed flexible work practices, stressing the business benefits including the financial pluses and the improved productivity.

This would include evidence of a home office with a good computer and high speed internet, setting out a plan of how you will stay in touch with them, and suggesting a test run, preferably a day that’s slower at the office. Finally, and probably most importantly, you will need to earn trust from your boss.

Would you like a more flexible worklife, and if so, what is stopping you from achieving it?

Source: SMH

David Henderson (lean & transformation manager SA, NT & WA) started with the NAB back in December and is happy because what he was told turned out to be true. He received a car salary package and is also able to use his iPad for work. Picture: Bianca De Marchi. Source: The Advertiser

Recruiting firm Hays reveals almost three-quarters, or 74 per cent, of workers in a new job say their role or workplace conditions are not what they expected from what they were told in the job interviews.

Its survey of 900 people reveals almost one in three, or 32 per cent, of new staff found their work to be nothing like it had been described.

A further 42 per cent revealed the experience was in some ways what they expected but in others it was not.

Companies are not living up to claims of encouraging work/life balance, having flexible rosters, providing ongoing training and development or having a good workplace culture.

Regional director Lisa Morris said not meeting promises created a “huge turnover risk” for the company and gave it a bad name in the job market.

“Why take that risk when hiring managers could match the experience of working at their organisation with what they sell during the recruitment process?” she said.

“For the most part they form solid expectations of what it would be like to work there during face-to-face interviews.”

HR Development at Work consultant Bridget Hogg said if an employee believed their new company was not going to deliver on what they thought was promised they were likely to look for something better.

“They may not resign in the first week but their decision to leave may have been made then,” she said.

“It’s important for employers to know what employees expect.

“Organisations can save themselves a lot of money if they ensure that they deliver the deal that employees are expecting.”

NAB executive David Henderson, 39, has worked for the bank for almost three months.

He was promised flexible salary packaging and a good working culture, which has turned out to be better than what he had been told.

“It’s vital that companies and employees match up,” he said. “The role has a certain amount of uncertainty and they prepared me for that. It’s a rare situation to walk into the job and have it look like I thought.”

Source:

CareerOne Editor Cara Jenkin
From:The Advertiser

Which limb are you missing?

That’s the way my uber-punctual friend and I greet each other if either of us is ever late (which happens once a decade).  Our feeling is that if you are late, it’s perfectly understandable if you lost a limb on the way over. Especially a leg.  What with the emergency room and all those insurance forms, it’s no wonder you couldn’t arrive on time.

If you don’t have an excuse on that level, however, then you don’t really have one.

How many of these excuses do you use?
“Traffic is horrible!”  Yes, it always is and I managed to get here on time without my personal helicopter.  “Kids. They always make me late.” If you gave birth to the kid on the way over, OK.  If you’ve had the kids for several years, and they always make you late, then maybe it’s not the kids.  Finally, my favorite, “I can’t help it, it’s genetics, I was even born late.”

Being late has nothing to do with genetics and unforeseen problems and everything to do with fear and thoughtlessness.

When I really dig deep into why people are late, it always comes down to fear and thoughtlessness. Specifically, the fear of showing up first and having nothing to do.  As if that’s the end of the world. Interestingly,  these people who are so frightened of waiting by themselves, have no understanding that they inflict this on others 99.9% of the time.  Which leads to the second reason, thoughtlessness.

I don’t think Late People purposely try to be jerks or show up 30 minutes late just to tick off other people. They just think what they are doing is sooooo important and have not thought for one second that other people might also have important things to do.  And then they like to think they have no control over being late. Once again, if they put a bit of thought into it, they would realize  that while they have no control over traffic, they do have control over when they leave.

So if you are chronically late or have friends and family that always are, here are some proven tips to change that:

1. Instead of fearing being the first to arrive, look at it as an opportunity to get stuff done without interruption. Always bring a smart phone, notebook or something to read when meeting so you if no one is there, you can get other work done.  Like editing tomorrow’s presentation,  reading some industry journals, or writing next week’s blog post.
2. Never assume the best case scenario. Perhaps once you got out of the house without a kid crisis, no traffic and the train came right on time.  Quit calculating how long it will take to get somewhere based on the one time everything went right.
3. Stop thinking your lateness is endearing or quirky. It makes you rightfully appear thoughtless and arrogant.
4. Stop thinking your time is so much more important than everyone else’s.
5. Understand when you’re late for a meeting, you cause hours of wasted time. You may think you’re only 10 minutes late but if there are 12 people in the meeting — you’ve managed to waste 2 hours of company time.
6. If you can see you’re going to be late call as soon as you know.  I stress the last part because chronically late people think if they are meeting you at 6 they can call at 5:59 to say they are going to be 30 minutes late. Call as soon as you know so the other people have more flexibility.
7. Say no more often.  Stop committing to things you have no time for.  If you can’t say no, learn to say, “I’ll think about it.”
8. Enjoy the stress-free relief of not missing planes, trains, and appointments. Being late almost always creates more problems in your life.  While being on time gets your mojo flowing.

Finally, remember the words of Green Bay Packer  coach Vince Lombardi:  If you’re not 5 minutes early, you’re late.

Got some other tips for not being late or some crazy stories about people who are? Dish in the comments.

Source: Mojo 40

How do you find a balanced life when you’re overloaded with work?

How do you switch off work when you’re away from the office?

The answers to these very common questions are elusive. It’s never an easy thing. But once you do find this balance you’ll find enormous benefits: more enjoyment of life and better relationships and less stress and a better quality of life overall.

A reader recently asked:

“I’d love to hear advice on how people who work full-time jobs can still manage to attain a well-balanced life. Especially in roles that give you sales targets, monitor you, and can be very stressful. I know it’s best to switch off after working hours, but sometimes (as humans) it is tough.

In Hong Kong, part-time jobs don’t pay well here and are tough to find, and full-time jobs often require overtime and are very stressful (it’s the Hong Kong norm to squeeze out as much as you can from an employee). In this corporate jungle, a part-time would be a perfect job for me (say 9-3 everyday); however it’s very hard to find jobs like that – it’s just not how the job market here is in Asia.

So how does one keep their calm and be grounded and still make time & energy for family, friends, myself, hobbies, interests and let’s face it – sanity? How does one learn to ‘not keep goals’ when that is what is expected from 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. 5 days a week? It’s tough to be 2 different people at work and outside of work.”

That’s a tough one. I should note that in many countries — including the U.S. — this is a common problem even if it’s not as pronounced as in Hong Kong (for example). We all face these problems whether we’re employees or self-employed or free-lancers or own our own businesses.

I’ve created a life where balance is intentionally built-in but it hasn’t always been that way. I’ve worked in the private sector (in the news industry) where they try to squeeze every bit out of employees and we were often asked to work longer hours without compensation. I’ve worked in demanding public service jobs where working into the night and weekend hours (again without more pay) were the norm. It wasn’t easy finding balance.

But don’t despair. Change is possible. These days I have created a life where I work less but on things I love. I make time for staying active and getting outside. I make time for playing with my kids and being alone with my wife. I find time alone for reading and walking and thinking. And as I do these things work isn’t always on my mind.

I have a few key tips that should help no matter what your work situation:

1. Set a time to shut off work. Working all day and night means you are nothing but your job. Your life belongs to your employer (or if you’re the employer then your life belongs to your employees or customers). Take ownership of your life — find variety and ways to burn off stress and find enjoyment in life! Start by setting a time each day when you shut off work. Whether that’s 5 p.m. or 5:30 or 6 or 7 or 9 p.m. Some of you can set it even earlier if you start earlier — say 4 p.m. or something like that. Set that time and make it happen. After that shut-off time you will not do work or check email or think about work.

2. Find something to immerse yourself in after work. What do you love doing besides work? Do you love to read or run or play sports or hang out with friends or play with your kids or build model ships or play games? If you don’t already have a passion then pick something that sounds fun and give it a try. It doesn’t have to be expensive — it could be as simple as hiking around your neighborhood or volunteering at a charity or helping friends with household projects. Schedule it as soon after work as possible. And while you’re doing it try to completely immerse yourself. Don’t think about work — only think about the after-work activity.

3. Learn to be mindful and present. It’s not easy to just switch your mind off work but it’s a skill you can learn over time. The way to learn this isn’t to try to block work from your mind — it’s to learn to bring your mind back to whatever you’re doing after work. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing: it could be household chores or exercise or talking with someone or taking a bath or eating. Whatever it is … that’s all you want to focus on. Your mind will inevitably slip into something else. That’s OK. Bring it back gently and without reprimand. Slowly with practice you will get better at being present. Which means your work won’t always be on your mind.

4. Take breaks at work. Not everyone will have this flexibility but it’s worth doing if you can manage it. Basically if you’re working for 8 or 10 hours you don’t want to do it non-stop. You need to find balance even at work. So at least once an hour get up and walk around. Get outside if you can and take a walk. Stretch and massage your shoulders and get your blood moving. Do some squats or pushups if you want to start getting fit. Talk to someone. Drink water. Eat fruits and vegetables. Your break just needs to be 5-10 minutes but it’s important.

5. Increase your skills while at work — to prepare for leaving work. If you are very skilled at what you do then you become worth more. In fact it’s often possible to quit your job and start your own business if you’re good enough. And it doesn’t take a lot of money to work for yourself — you can start a business with practically no money. I started mine while still working full time: my job funded my startup business. Even if you don’t go into business for yourself you’ll be worth more with a high skill level. So devote your work hours to learning and perfecting your work skills.

6. Find ways to increase your income while decreasing hours. As your skills increase your value increases. Slowly pick jobs or projects that earn more money per hour. This often means changing jobs but it might be a promotion or change in roles. It could mean starting your own business or becoming a consultant. If you already have your own business or work for yourself then you should slowly be picking jobs or business projects that pay more for every hour you spend working on them. By increasing income you can decrease hours and free up more time for yourself.

7. Learn that you are not defined by work. You can be happy without your job. Your value isn’t completely tied to your work. For example: I’m a writer but it’s not the only thing I am. I’m also a father and husband and know that those are my most important roles — not my role as a writer. I am more than that as well: I run and read and learn and help others and am constantly experimenting with life. I can do things other than my job and be fulfilled. So can you. And once you discover this you’ll free yourself to find a life outside of work. Then balance is simply a matter of logistics — you just need to make it happen by taking small steps.

Small steps is always the answer. You don’t need to be perfect at shutting off work or being present or pouring yourself into something after work. You just need to start doing it and in doing so you’ve already started down the road to balance.

Source:  Zen Habits

While a career contributes to your time on the planet in many ways, most people agree that it shouldn’t be the sum total of your life. If you work a regular full-time job, you get 128 hours per week to sleep, eat, be a romantic partner and parent, or participate in sports and entertainment. There are many, many possible career paths out there and a practically infinite number of possibilities. Your life can be one cohesive story if you fit your job in with your personal life rather than fighting with yourself to do it the other way around.Tip #1 – Look to Friends and Family for Guidance
Chances are, the most important people in your life are your friends and your family. These relationships should never be sacrificed for a job, so make sure that what you want to do fits with what you must do for a given profession. One example of this could be a desire to strengthen your marriage. To do that, you will need patience, love and understanding but also time basking in your spouse’s presence. To that end, you’ll need to find a job with hours that are similar to your partner’s hours, even if it means slightly less pay. It will be worth it in the long run because a happy husband or wife makes a happy, and productive, employee.

Valuable advice from loved ones should also be important in your career choices. Your friends might know even better than you do what you’re good at and what you can add to a group setting. You will miss out if you don’t ask for their opinions. Your friends may also plan vacations or extended weekends together, so being in the loop will allow you to spend even more quality time with them.

Tip #2 – Define Your Values and Put Them to Work

As a wise man once said, variety is the spice of life. You are different from all other people and over your lifetime, have learned what makes you tick. An important step in finding a life-supporting career is defining your values and then finding money-making opportunities to match. Do you really, really like money? Affluence could be a value. Do you enjoy being part of a group? Belonging could be your personal value.

Other examples of values include creativity, altruism, integrity, helpfulness and justice. For example, a very caring person might find fulfillment in nursing while an adventurous person might love venture capitalism. If you can’t find anything that fits, remember that nothing is stopping you from creating something that does.

Investigate the new consumer encyclopedia site, North Orion, for descriptions of many careers and the values and education associated with them. Make a conscious decision to live your real values and don’t let the desire for quick cash or easy job tasks get in the way.

Tip #3 – Network with Friends and Professional Contacts

Most career advisors preach the importance of networking with professional contacts like school professors, former and potential coworkers, and people in professional associations. Gaining this habit is, in fact, very important in having an effective career. But, you may be missing the boat if you don’t network with friends and family members as well.

Those closest to you know best what you want and what is important to you. Use that as an advantage by asking them about companies near them or acquaintances they may have in your area of interest. Places like church, parent-teacher associations or social justice groups can also be network goldmines.

If you let your career be determined by your values, your family and your friends, you will be happier and have better self-esteem, which leads to creativity and even more acknowledgement of your worth as a human being. In the end, your life story will include all aspects of your life – including those 128 hours per week – so get on a path that will end in a coherent tale.

Source:  The Undercover Recruiter