Education & Training

Have you ever wondered why, despite all the new labour-saving technology we have, that we are now working longer and harder than ever before?

Work-life balance coach, Dr Jackie Holt, says that whether we love or hate what we do, the undeniable truth is that we are now working longer and harder than ever before.

"As our time spent at work expands, our personal time shrinks," Dr Holt said. "This is ironic, as in the 1970s we were told to prepare for the increased leisure time that the automation revolution would bring. Not only has this increased leisure time not materialised, research shows that actual leisure time has decreased in western countries.

"Today, in the developed world, we have the ability to spend more but we're not happier; we have bigger homes with less people living in them; we have more gadgets but less time to use them; we spend less time being involved in our communities but complain about feeling isolated; we paint ourselves into corners with high levels of debt, but we still want it all now!"

Dr Holt said her research had revealed that people generally lacked the basic belief they had a choice to live their lives according to their personal priorities.

"Unfortunately, for many people the only cure is a metaphorical plank of wood that smacks us across the head and makes us stop and reflect on our life, whether we like it or not. I often wonder why so many of us wait for a crisis before we identify and act on our personal values and priorities. Many of the people I have worked with tell me that they knew their lives were out of balance but they felt ensnared. And as perverse as it may seem, a crisis gives them 'permission' to change."

"The key is 'mind management' not 'time management' she says. "I have found that by following this process, people can learn how to use mind management to reduce stress and improve their work-life balance."

"So what can we do," Dr Holt says. "Even though there are many legitimate external pressures that affect us, undoubtedly the single most important issue we need to address is our own mind set.

"Use the Ripple Process to help you rediscover what is important to you and take action, no matter how small, on those things in your life that you want to change. Even small, seemingly insignificant changes can have a powerful ripple effect."

Marty's journey to a balanced life

WREN guest speaker Marty Doyle has worked in the radio industry for 30 years. During that time he has been a prime-time announcer, music director, program manager, advertising sales consultant, voice-on-a-stick and former teenage idol (he had hair then). In 2004 Marty was diagnosed with neck cancer. As a result of this experience and his journey back to wellness, Marty realised that the keys to finding work-life balance were emotional maturity, good communication and developing strong relationships.

"Who am I to write about work-life balance after 30 years in the media, where deadlines are the most important thing, even more important than friendships, family and civility?" he says.

"In the last 30 years, I have lived in 27 homes in six different cities; worked for nine different employers; been through two station name changes; four station relocations and six station re-launches. I have worked as a prime-time announcer, music director, award-winning program manager, promotions manager, sales manager and sales executive. And along the way I have lost a number of relationships, a marriage, and quality time with my children.

"To say that I was work and self-obsessed would be an understatement; everything I did for those 30 years was motivated by my desire for career success. My goal was to always be the best at what I did, and the only way I knew how to do that was to work hard. 'The more you put in, the more you get out' was my motto. And I wasn't satisfied unless I was on top; if that meant working long hours, so be it. If that meant coming home long after my children had gone to bed, so be it. If that meant going to a work function instead of spending time with my wife, so be it. If that meant working at home 'til all hours of the morning, so be it. I was obsessed with being 'successful'.

"I worked long hours, I didn’t eat properly, I smoked and I was drinking too much.

"Then on Mother's Day 2004, my body decided enough was enough. Clearly I wasn't going to pull things together, so it decided to teach me a lesson that would change the course of my life. I woke up with a sore neck after having been out at a friend's 40th birthday party the night before: I assumed that I had strained it on the dance floor. The next morning as I was getting ready for work, I realised my neck was so swollen that I couldn't do up my shirt collar. I went to my GP who told me he thought it was probably just an infection, but to be certain, he began a series of tests that would see me going from specialist to specialist for the next three months, only to be told that the diagnosis was 'inconclusive'.

"Finally I had a core needle biopsy that revealed I had Squamous Cell Carcinoma. I underwent surgery and had two lymph nodes removed from my lower neck. It wasn't until they told me that I would need 36 days of radiation, three one-week rounds of chemo, and to have six perfectly healthy teeth removed that I started to get worried.

"This was not in my CV, I had never been sick in my life. I thought I was ten-feet tall and bullet-proof - but now I had cancer and they couldn't find the primary source.

"It hasn't been an easy journey to get to where I am now. I remember having a discussion with my sister at the time about why this had happened to me. I told her that I knew I wasn't doing the right things, that I knew I didn't have a proper work-life balance before I got ill, and that I'd known what to do to prevent this happening, but I hadn't done anything about it.

"So, do I get it now?

"Well, I'm still a work in progress, but I have learnt a lot from this 'pothole in the highway of life'. These days I look at my life holistically and regularly check in with the four strategies that I have developed to balance my work and life:
·     Continually top up the tank.
·     Keep on keeping on until you get strong.
·     The more you love, the more you get others to do the same.
·     Trust that you are safe and that the universe (God) is supporting you.

"Up until the time I became ill I was leading an ordinary life, now I intend to live an extraordinary life. My new job is to be bold, awesome, gracious, a relationship-builder; a creator of health, wealth, love and joy."

Read Marty's full story in "Balance: Real-life Strategies For Work/Life Balance" published by Sea Change Publishing, 2006. The book features 12 contributing authors and copies are available by contacting Marty by email: martydoyle@bigpond.com. Part of Marty's work today is helping people to clarify their personal values and develop life strategies. For more information, email martydoyle@bigpond.com.