You can also take the free quiz or join me on tour in your choice of more than 30 cities. You can construct a spreadsheet like my dad did, use an app on your phone (there are several free ones available), or just mark the days down in your calendar.īorn for This is available from or your favorite local bookseller. If you’re in a similar situation, whether trapped in a cubicle, on deployment, or otherwise imprisoned, make your own countdown clock. Looks like I have 673 days and 4 hours to go.” Soldiers deployed on long missions do the same thing, counting down their time to the precise day of planned exit. He’d respond with something like, “Oh, I don’t know exactly. It soon became a topic of dinner table conversation: “Hey, Dad, how much longer at the day job?” I’d ask. Before he packed up his cubicle and moved to a beachside office, he created a spreadsheet that displayed the number of days that remained until his retirement age. He eventually retired and entered a new phase of life, writing mystery novels and short stories. It was probably my fault: I wasn’t there to help test the space shuttle (like I did when I was six years old) or pester him to take me to Burger King (like I did throughout my whole childhood). My dad worked as an aerospace engineer for several decades, but the final years weren’t as enjoyable as the earlier ones. Lesson: When you’re trying to escape a dead-end job or any other undesirable situation, create a calendar and count down the days to freedom. This series explores some of these lessons. *My brand-new book, Born for This, is all about helping you find the work you were meant to do. They measure balance by self-fulfillment, not by the clock.When You Need to Escape, Build Your Own Countdown Clock They pursue their passions at all times and places. Successful people don’t wait until 5 p.m. So set boundaries, give yourself permission to say no, and be kind about it. Beating yourself up for unmet expectations throws off your emotional balance. Regardless of gender, finding peace requires a holistic view of how choices fit together, and then discipline to keep priorities straight.ĥ. “I don't think women can have it all,” she says. Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi wrestled with “mommy guilt” while her two daughters were growing up. Win-win relationships increase satisfaction and create a multiplier effect on your time.Ĥ. A comparative advantage emerges when people focus on what they do best while collaborating with others who complement their skills. Doing everything yourself ignores the basic economic principle that people have different passions, preferences and abilities. They recognize the nobility in all worthwhile labor.ģ. Well-balanced people find ways to elevate their vision. Three stonecutters working side by side show the difference in a parable popularized by the late Peter F. People can’t always choose their labor, but they can choose the meaning they assign to it. Find meaning. Work is most ennobling when it’s meaningful. "If all the year were playing holidays, / To sport would be as tedious as to work," Shakespeare's Prince Hal observes.Ģ. People who don’t work can’t rest because they have nothing to rest from. A balanced life starts with work, whether at home or office, that creates value. Here are five lessons I have observed from people who seem to strike the right mix.ġ. Fullscreen countdown timer for workshops, presentations and meetings. More than anything, balance is a state of mind. 10 Minute Countdown Big Timer - Fullscreen countdown timer. People need balance, but work-life is a false dichotomy. As a corollary, putting hours on a ledger and making side-by-side comparisons suggests one should feel guilty when the scales tilt toward work - especially when family and friends get neglected at home.īoth assumptions oversimplify the dynamics involved. Career coaches do something similar when they tell stressed clients not to check office emails at home, work through lunch or skip accrued vacation time.Īll too often, the assumption is that work represents a necessary evil that people must endure so they can enjoy life. Policymakers fall into this trap when they regulate workweeks or set minimum standards for annual and family leave. All you need to do is: Set your future date and time or select a pre-defined event like Halloween from the options. Yet conversations about work-life balance often start with a focus on the clock. It doesn’t take an Einstein to understand that time is relative. As my daughter reminded me, autonomy and self-direction matter more than tallying hours on a spreadsheet when it comes to feeling overwhelmed.
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