Things You Need to Know

Time Management

No Rest for . . . Anyone

April 17, 2006

Recently we received a phone call from a law firm asking whether we conduct seminars about balancing work and life. It’s a topic we hear about frequently as more and more professionals feel the pressure of billing 2000 plus hours per year.

Several organizations now hope to help people who feel their lives have somehow fallen way out of balance. As reported in The New York Times (“Pining for the Kick-Back Weekend,” April 15, 2006, p. B5), several non-religious coalitions hope to encourage young families to take back their weekends. These include: Putting Family First (www.puttingfamilyfirst.org); Balance 4 Success (www.balance4success.org); and Ready, Set, Relax (www.readysetrelax.org).

When it comes to over scheduling, most of us are our own worst enemies. We create personal schedules that have us hustling from one event to another with little time off for reflection. And why do we over-schedule? The NYT points out that many now view being over-scheduled as a “badge of honor,” something that gives individual workers bragging rights along with the big house and the fancy car.

So as you start thinking about your next weekend, plan some down-time—time to read a favorite book, take a stroll, visit a museum. Kicking back may be what you need most.

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