Work in life or life at work?

Work in life or life at work?

Some days before I stumbled on a American sitcom friends dialogue  which goes something like this…
"To full rounded lives" Monica raised a toast, to which Ross's replied "Which centre around work". Does this friends dialogue really depict the modern age workman?

We live in a world, where mini seconds have started counting, soon we'll have a time when we'll hold time accountable...Work has not just been a job or task at hand for us, it has been a place where most of our energy is consumed.  One spends 9 hours of day at work, 1 hour in travel, roughly 10 hours a day. That goes on 220 hours a month, 2640 hours a year. Out of total 8760 hours a year, one spends 2640 i.e. roughly 30% of one’s year in work.

 

Now let's look at the rest 70% of his/her year... Hours spent in the morning are getting ready for work, in the night, talking about work, collages, or finishing deadlines or replying to an urgent mail from the boss. Sleep is roughly 6-7 hours, if time can't be taken out for exercise and meditation, sleep also becomes an item on the checklist than a peaceful activity.

So what about the weekends i.e. 8 balance days each month? As far as observations go, most of the time goes in chilling on the couch, watching a movie, hanging out at a bar or restaurant or sleeping like been deprived of it for a century.... Also if one is caught in a job which he/ she dislikes, weekend is privy to some disappointments and cribbing.

 

This is not just arithmetic...most of one’s active socialisation happens with people he/she spends more time with. He/she starts to form bonds with colleagues, hangs out with them, picks up their quirks and habits, develops a liking for them, etc. Socialization here could fall prey to grapevine and gossips which furthers the scope for deep, meaningful conversations.
The place that they can come back to for being candid could be family and friends, but one is so exhausted putting up with a hectic week or a challenging boss or the traffic conditions, that he/she would be less interested in any interactions!

 

You would wander, coming so far that’s why doesn’t one quit? Well let me tell you, that thought has come more times than you have wondered. One may look out for options less tiring, less burdening, looking out for something which will help him/her strike a balance between work and personal life. One may stumble upon his lost passion for writing or painting or scuba diving?

 

But these thoughts seem to fall back as fast as they come due to the comfort cushion he/she has enjoyed with help of salary or perks and incentives. Also an appraisal meeting is due and a promotion round the corner. In this way one sticks around. The ladder never ends and the incentives are never enough!

 

Work in life or life at work is a choice. A choice that one has to make every day, over and over again!

 

CA Avanti Jog