It’s always exciting to finally graduate and enter the workforce, after all its what years and years of hitting the books has prepared you for and now that day is finally here to prove yourself, you realize that whatever time you have is dedicated to your company. While the saying all work and no play makes Jack (or Jane) a dull boy holds water, trying to climb the corporate ladder will often times see you working long hours just so you’ll impress your boss and get more work done in the shortest amount of time.
After all, who wants to be the newbie for too long? However if you continue working overtime in the long run, it’ll take its toll you emotionally and physically. It’s important to keep yourself constantly motivated, energized and happy so that you’ll be at the top of your game at all times!
Here are some tips that will help you keep the balance in your life:
Stay focused
Do your job and do it well. Don’t dawdle and prolong your working hours just because you’d can’t resist long breaks talking to your colleague in the pantry or maintaining your farm on Farmville every half an hour. All these wasted energy and time can be thrown into getting your task done so that you won’t have to work overtime or bring your work home with you. Plus the earlier you get your work done, the less you have to worry about your boss breathing down your neck.
Complete that “To Do” list
Very often we spend our off day running errands and paying bills because we let them sit around until we’re free to pay any attention to them. This means that you don’t get any rest which an off day or a weekend is supposed to give you and you’ll end up more exhausted the next day at work.
Have a Hobby
Now this might sound simple but survey shows that 7 out of 10 people have no time to pursue their own interests (and no, shopping and dining out does not count) or simply give up their hobbies after taking on a job simply because they’re too exhausted to give it much thought after a long week. It’s important to keep your hobby be it yoga, gardening, art classes or guitar lessons because work alone does not give your life meaning or purpose and it also gives you something to look forward to after work. Plus it might motivate you to finish your work on time!
Time for Friends
The work demon does two things to you, it steals your soul, your friends and before you know it you’re all alone one Friday night depressed with no one to call. Maintaining friendships require effort. Plan for drinks or dinner with close knit friends every now and then after work or during your weekends. If you don’t plan to go out, have them come over to your place and cook in instead. After a whole week of eating out, some good old homecooked food with be good for the soul.
Laziness and fatigue are the results of insufficient sleep, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet all attributed to long hours at work. It’s not wrong to want to climb the corporate ladder quickly, after all, the sooner you get there, the faster you are to financial freedom but at what price? They key to life is balance and its always worth the effort to achieve it if you put your heart into it just like you do into your work. A more balanced lifestyle will result in a happier, more motivated you!
