Busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

I love that saying.....


Is wanting it all a bit much? I want the work life balance. The real thing, not a 60/40 split. Something always gives. Option a) You spend too much time in the office to deliver stuff and the family suffers, Option b) you leave early to look after family stuff and eyebrows in the office are raised. Especially the higher up to food chain you travel.

I've been lucky, in my career of late I've been in a company which, not only talks the talk, it walks the walk in this way. We don't expect any more than 40 hours a week, we keep travel to a minimum, as we seriously respect our people's time.

This last week I've been interviewing some pretty senior people for our business, and find our conversations heading down the work/life balance path at times. Especially with more mature people who have been around for a while. I hear the stories about their global successes, their travel, the wins the losses etc (and a lot of times their divorces). Each one seems to have sacrificed the home front for amazing gains in the business world.

Is this ideal of Work/Life balance a myth? Is it impossible? Is there a certain level within an organisation where the ideal becomes null and void, with a "we pay you $x, we own you now" mentality.

IMPOSSIBLE? bugger that.. I'M POSSIBLE.

I'd like to think I have a handle on priorities in life. And you know what... I want, ney I'm having both. Why? Because I can. Why not!

Hours don't maketh the employee, quality does. Same goes for parenting.

As mentioned in a previous post, my wife and I are expecting child number 3 come April. All kinds of challenges are running through my mind, one child starting school, one starting kinder, one, well just basically starting. It's hard yakka, which most likely my wife will bear the brunt of initially. Work will be there, this too is full on, if it's to be done properly and it needs and deserves to be done properly. It pays the bills, it's fun and it gives me a sense of who I am too.

I'm hoping with child number 3, I'll be more self aware than I was with the first two. I know what is expected of me from both camps and I know what worked and what didn't previously... and I'm ready for it. I have more tools and resources available to me now, and I'll be prepared.

I will still hit my personal goals and career goals... why? quite simply... to channel my Dad.. "BECAUSE I SAID SO! THAT'S WHY!" (don't make me come over there)