Work-Life Balance

Life is hectic nowadays and is expected to become busier. There are people who thrive on doing a lot of things within a certain time frame. But there are not many of them out there.

It may be worse for working people. This can take a toll on their health unless they are able to strike a balance between work and home.

Whether you are working full time or on your own, it is important to have balance in life. But many working people spend too much time at work or are forced to because deadlines have to be met. Some become workaholic. Too much of everything is too much. It is necessary to work but work is not everything.

Are you doing what some people are doing, namely, holding more than one job. You may need the money. But you need to ask whether it is worth the loss of your health and lack of opportunity to do some of the things you would like to do.

If you believe that you are spending excessive time at work, you may want to look for another job where working hours are more flexible. But suitable jobs may not be available or you may have worked a long time with your present employer and doing quite well with good pay.

Work-Life Balance
Wikipedia defines work-life balance as being "a concept including proper prioritizing between "work" (career and ambition) and "lifestyle" (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development / meditation)."

There is a purpose why, as an employee, you are given paid vacation leave of a certain number of days. This is to allow you to be away from your place of work, to take rest and recover from too much stress from overwork. Some employees take leave to pay their bills or do other chores that are as stressful. This is the purpose of the paid leave.

When you take vacation leave, forget about your work and just relax. If you can afford it, go somewhere. Otherwise, do some gardening, read story books, listen to soothing music or just enjoy the beauty around you.

More and more workers are seeing the importance of work-life balance. They want to spend as much time away from the office as possible. They also place more importance on their health and the well-being of their family. Some expect to retire early.

Jen Usher suggests the following:
1. Build downtime into your schedule for family and friends
2. Drop activities that sap your time or energy
3. Rethink your errands
4. Get moving (exercise)
5. Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way

There are other ways that you may be able to think of. Remember that striving for balance between work and leisure is important for many reasons.

Life's Objectives
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71 Million Youth are Poor

There was a UN survey that found that some 71 million youth in the world are living below the poverty line. A portion of them are employed but are still considered poor since their pay is very little.

Are you classified under youth? Are you employed? Have you the education but unemployed or paid pittance? Are you living in a developed country yet cannot get a job?

By the way, how do we create enough jobs for 71 million not counting those who are out of job or had been retrenched?

Young people are the life blood of a nation. Without enough young people to take over from aging working population, nations will go into decline leading to more problems. Young people who are educated but are forced to wait for working people to retire are not getting any younger. If national governments keep extending the retirement age, more and more young people will be unemployed. Why can't the educated young be given a little piece of the cake?

Look at China. It is said that because of its one child policy, China will experience shortage of labour in the years to come. Some world leaders or so-called thinkers argue that the world is getting over-populated. The world cannot feed the increasing population. But St. Teresa of Calcutta (Kolkata) had said that this was not true. There is always one more place for a child, she said.

Look at some developed countries who have not enough young people to replace the aging population. Sooner or later, they will go into decline. Developing nations will take over their place even as a super power. Many argue for sustainable development. But yet the majority are forgetting the young.

If the young are not given jobs and fast, how will national governments find the revenue to look after its aging population. There is a reason why people develop from babies to young men and women and to adults. The cycle has to go on so that mankind can continue to populate this earth. It means the survival of mankind. Once too much emphasis is given to one group among the population, it will create not only an imbalance which will jeopardise people's livelihood but will also put at risk the future of nations.

Policies have to be revisited. Outdated thinking has to be done away with. New laws may have to be enacted if necessary. With the right laws and policies in place, there is no reason why a good percentage of the 71 million young people can't be given job opportunities that raise their station in life above the poverty line.

Getting Started in Your Career

Since when you were a little boy or girl, you may have dreamed of doing something worthwhile in life. You may be like the 9-year old girl who has become a celebrity. But not everybody can be like this talented little girl. But it doesn't mean that your future is without hope. As long as you have the right motivation you will have the opportunity of accomplishing something important.

But first thing first. For most people, going through years of study up to high school and then a number of years in college or university is a must. After all education is capable of opening many doors in life. The years spent studying is worth the effort and time.

One of the questions that may cross your mind is whether you should get a regular job or start something on your own like starting a business enterprise. The latter is not easy and you are not sure whether you will make it or not.

You may decide to get a job first before making a decision. Doing this will allow you to get experience what it takes to successfully run a business. This will also help in the decision whether to stay employed or to strike it out on your own.

After graduating and having decided to seek employment, you will have to make plan how to get the job that fits your qualification and personality. This may include reading through books and magazines to gather information what are the jobs you are qualified for. You may also find valuable tips at the same time on how to perform well at interviews. You will then have to find out where the jobs are, to submit applications and to do research on the potential employers.

Securing a job may take a long time. By that time, you may have become disheartened. But don't give up just yet. Keep going. Talk to family acquaintances who work for big companies. Visit job centres. Check out some companies that you have come to know through browsing newspapers, magazines and so on.


Check out some tips on careers and jobs HERE.