Work/Life Balance

Wow, what a week. Seems it has flown by rather quickly. That may be a good thing, depending of course, on what I have accomplished. I was somewhat overwhelmed at the beginning of the week when I realized what my workload was. Of particular concern was the preparation I needed to do for a workshop. The irony being that the workshop topic was work/life balance and I could feel my life slowly, but surely, spiralling out of balance. Perhaps the weekend did not help. A weekend I had looked forward to for some rest, relaxation and time with family seemed to be filled with sadness, conflict and a host of other emotions that did not allow for rejuvenation. Left me feeling empty, confused, off balance. Not a good start to the week.

Tuesday I had the privilege of being on Feedback, a call in show on CKLQ, speaking about the Farmer to Farmer project and more specifically about work/life balance. After having been on the show and having had some significant response by phone calls, I felt somewhat better. One of the people I work with asked me, somewhat tongue in cheek, whether I practised what I preached. The answer was simple. Not as a rule.
As I headed back to my office to prepare for the workshop I took note of the absolutely fantastic weather we were experiencing. And you know me, I have ranted often enough on how the winter seemed to go on forever. Golf came to mind. I imagined what it would be like to simply pack up and go swing my clubs. If only I did not have so much work. If only I had done more work last week. If only the weather had been nicer over the last month. If only the golf course would be open. Oh well, the thought was good. After lunch I decided to take a quick look at the Brandon Sun. Wanted to get an update on the flood. As luck would have it the first little blurb I read was that the Shilo golf course was open for business. Well, you can imagine.

It did not take long and I was headed out the door. I snuck away. I convinced myself that work could wait. Had some fleeting moments of guilt. Felt a little anxious. Thought, perhaps, I was being less than responsible. And, quite frankly, I was being irresponsible with work but taking some initiative about getting my life closer to an even keel. Sounds like I am still trying to justify my actions. Turned out to be a good time. Played golf with some total strangers. And for a fleeting moment I felt more in control.

Check out some simple tests to see whether you are achieving balance in your life. The Canadian Mental Health Association website(www.cmha.ca) has a work/life balance quiz as well as a mental health meter. Might be interesting what you learn about yourself. Make sure you avail yourself of some good tips on bringing more balance to your life. You will benefit from it. Make it a good one.