Technology and Life Balance
Technology has drastically changed the way we work, but at what cost. E-mail, cell phones, and other digital devices make it possible for us to work when away from the office or when we are supposed to be on vacation. This can be beneficial at times and can be awful at times. The line we draw between personal time and work time is far less concrete than it used to be. Our careers are important but we must not lose focus of what we are working for. Family and having time for hobbies or other activities is important and we must not forgot this.
Cell Phone
First there was pagers that alerted us that we need to contact someone for a work emergency. Then came basic car phones which gave us the ability to talk and work on our drive home. Next came the first generation of cell phones, which turned into more portable flip phones. Text messages were the next evolution of phone technology. Finally smart phones were developed. As each advancement in mobile technology was made, we became more accessible when we are out of the office. E-mails through phones allow us to work anywhere at any time. This can be a huge benefit but we often forget to put the phone away. Years ago going on vacation meant we were completely out of touch. If an emergency occurred our coworkers would have to make long distance calls to a hotel and leave a message. This is no longer the case. Long distance calls are no longer expensive and hotels and other venues no longer need to answer calls looking for people. Cell phones allow us to be in touch 24/7. No one wants to always be working and time off is important. We must now make sure to separate ourselves from technology when we do take vacation days. So next time you are off remember to ignore calls and e-mails and take a day for yourself. It will be more relaxing than you think.
Electronic mail has allowed us to communicate must faster than ever before. Instead of waiting for an architectural drawing to show us we can now view it via e-mail almost instantly after it is sent. This clearly has major benefits to productivity. It is easier for me people to see the plans quicker and it cuts down on shipping costs. However, there are down sides to e-mail as well. Sometimes answering too quickly or sending out a plan to quickly can cause problems. We are in such a hurry to get everything done that we don’t always spend enough time to proofread things. We relay too much on spell check and other computer programs to monitor what we are doing. So next time you have a major project due, think about mailing it the old fashion way. By printing it out and reviewing a hard copy we are much more likely to catch mistakes. In addition, looking at a print copy give us, and our clients, a different perspective than a computer screen. So do not hesitate to print out something and look at it before you send it. You will not regret the trouble this can solve for everyone involved.
Work/Life Balance
Our careers are very important to us, we all want to succeed, make money, and have success. In the pursuit of success we often lose track of what we are working for. We work to fund our activities and to provide for our families. To that end we must remember not to be over committed to work. This does not mean be lazy or not to put forth the effort. In contrary, it is important to put forth maximum effort in order to succeed. However, maximum effort does not mean we need to give up our social lives. Vacation time is important and well-earned and we must use it. Technology makes putting work off for later very difficult. We want to be a resource for those around us but it is crucial to remember that projects and other work functions got done before we had this technology. Your company will survive a week without you. Odds are your place of business existed longer before you started your employment and odds are it will be around long after you leave. To that end we must maintain a healthy work life balance. Remember what we are working for and save some money and time off to enjoy yourself. It is good for health to be relaxed and it is even better for productivity. So next time you get stuck at work late think to yourself, are you working too much? Staying late on occasion isn’t a problem, but if it happens every day it is time for a change.
Family
We work hard to provide for our families and our children. To that end it is important that we do not let work get in the way of milestone events. Going to your child’s sporting events, musical performances, award ceremonies, and graduations is important. We should not let work get in the way. Milestone events are why we put in the time we do at the office and if you find yourself missing too many of them you have a problem. Scheduling is our responsibility and it is up to us to know when these events are and to request the time off in a reasonable manner. That means months in advance. If we plan with our bosses when we should we are far less likely to miss major family events. So plan accordingly. Part of life is that we will miss something that we want to be a part of but don’t let work make you miss too much. If you find yourself always being disturbed at one of these events turn off your phone. Furthermore, share with your boss and wo-workers where you will be. If they know it is a major milestone they will be less likely to disturb you. Family should always come first, it is why we work. Remember this and you won’t miss important milestones.
It is easy to mess up our work/life balance. If you start to get too many calls or text messages it might be time to take a step back and think about what really matters. We work to provide for our families and it is important we remember this. So if you are working too much assess what changes you must make. It could mean a new career or some small adjustments. The choice is yours, make a smart decision for your future.