By contributing columnist Mary P. Donato
Can it be true? Is the American workforce finally getting a handle on work/life balance? According to a Yankelovich poll, one in five people say they’ve taken a cut in pay to work less. Nearly half of those suveyed have changed jobs to have more family time.
There’s a good chance that you know someone who has made a change in their work habits. For some, reality is starting to set in: Life is too short not to enjoy it. The proof:
* Many Baby Boomers are cutting back their work schedules. They're realizing life is too short to continue working the way they have been over the past 30 years. -GenXers are saying they don’t want to be like their parents, who work long hours without enough time for family and friends.
* Some people are actually discovering that "Simple Abundance" makes sense. The need to have the huge house, the new car, and everything else to keep up isn’t quite as important after all.
* Some people are finding that by reducing their weekly work schedule from 60 hours per week down to 40, they are actually more efficient and are earning just as much as before. Taking control of your time (and life) requires you to become more organized, more proactive and less "reactive." The simple act of planning more effectively can help prioritize what’s really important.
If you have some ideas of how you’ve been able to manage your time more effectively so you can be with friends and family more often, please share them. And for more on work/life balance, visit S&MM's Soapbox.
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