Twenty years ago I had a job that required an 8:00am arrival. Leaving before 6:00pm was frowned upon. One particular co-worker would chide with the comment "half-day?" if he saw you leave at 5:30pm.
I now have the wisdom to look back and realize that the company culture was one where everything outside of work was secondary. Guilt was a motivating factor. Unless you were extremely "unbalanced" you had a tough time fitting in.
"Sheryl Sandberg leaves work at 5:30 everyday - And you should too!" is an article about having a balanced life. What's interesting about Ms. Sandberg is that she is the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook. Conventional wisdom says that she has the ultimate 20-hour a day job. She had to overcome an insecurity about neglecting work and began to feel confident about her 5:30pm decision because of her desire to spend time with her family. Her priorities are in balance.
My hope is that Ms. Sandberg is part of an evolving trend.
There's no doubt that long hours are well ingrained in the American business culture. Have we calculated the cost of not having balance in our lives? Now is a good time to start.
The best way to create a balanced life is to start with a desire to have balance. The next step is to find work that connects your intellectual and physical assets to a business that has a purpose and beliefs that you can relate. It's easier said than done, but something to strive for nonetheless.
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