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Overview
In modern Western societies, we have more than ever before. We have money, jobs and consumer goods. Many of us should be happy with that but many aren’t. There are two main reasons why people aren’t happy: they don’t have enough time to do both their career and their personal lives well. They feel like they need to give up one or the other in order to succeed at work or at home.
But this is actually not true. We don’t have to give up our jobs, nor do we have to spend every waking moment working at them – we can do both of these things and still be successful. The article gives excellent advice for everyone who wishes to work in a more efficient manner.
In this essay, you will learn why we don’t have to spend most of our time at work; the hour in which we are generally more productive; and how the family meal doesn’t have to be dinner.
Big Idea #1: Interruptions make our work days seem longer and longer.
How much do you work? Most of us believe we work too hard and that our balance is skewed towards work. This is especially true for working mothers, who spend more time at the office than with their families. However, this may not be true.
According to a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013, mothers with full-time jobs spend 35 hours per week working. Mothers who earn over $100,000 USD work even more – up to 44 hours per week. This does seem like a lot, but let’s take a closer look at the numbers. If we sleep eight hours each night and work 44 hours each week, that leaves us 68 free time every week. So why do we feel so exhausted?
It comes down to interruptions. Those small, unexpected events that break up our working day can actually make it feel longer. In order to measure her working week, one woman tried to keep her days as routine as possible so she could get an accurate measure of time management. However, this wasn’t feasible because there were too many interruptions in the course of a normal day.
People are constantly interrupted in their work. They can’t get anything done because of unexpected events, such as snow days and family events. This makes people feel like they’re always behind schedule and need to catch up on work. People shouldn’t have to feel that way! In the following key points, we will examine how people can arrange their lives so they don’t feel that way anymore.
Big Idea #2: Make the most of flexibility wherever you can get it.
Working mothers often feel guilty. They might feel like they’re neglecting their family or their career responsibilities. But this guilt doesn’t have to be there at all, as long as you plan your time wisely and make the most of both work and free time.
The first step to coping with interruptions is to find your opportunities for flexibility in your work. Many jobs offer some sort of flexibility, and it’s important that you take advantage of them. Remember the previous key point about how interruptions can be distracting? Flexibility will help you deal with those distractions.
This flexibility allows you to either leave work early or work from home to get your family time in.
There are several options for people who want to spend more time with their family. One is working split shifts, which means you work early in the morning before your kids wake up and then spend quality time with them over breakfast. You can also leave work early to visit your kids’ activities, but come back once they go to sleep so you can do another shift from home. Another idea is to telecommute at least one or two days a week. This isn’t as bad as some people think because only 25% of those who tried it experienced any kind of conflict between their professional and personal lives!
