× logo

The Free 30-Day CAT RC Course

"It is designed to help you excel in the upcoming CAT 2024 exam"

-By Lavleen Kaur Kapoor. Over 2,00,000+ Subscribers

read more

No thanks >

Do we maintain Life & Work Balance

Do we maintain Life & Work Balance

Published: Thursday, 17 March, 2016 09:15 AM

Do we maintain Life & Work  Balance ?

MBA aspirants may be asked to write Essay before personal appearance during MBA Admission selection process therefore it is must to start practice for Essay writing.

Read Essay Topic: Do we maintain Life & Work  Balance 

A topic like "Work-Life balance" is the best food for thought. You can brood, debate, discuss and pass judgments over it but are you sure you practice it in your daily life? 
 
We know how important it is to maintain a Life-and-Work-Balance, but do we actually take it seriously? Most of us don’t ever feel like we have worked for enough time and work longer and longer hours to get all our jobs done. What we should always remember is that if we don’t maintain a good life & work balance, there’s a real threat of burn out. It will not only cause emotional and physical stress, but will also affect everything we do – our tasks at work and our tasks at home. 
 
 
It’s a fact that we can’t do everything for everyone; we must understand that we can’t be perfect in all aspects of our life and work. The best we can do is to ‘try’ - try to please people related to our work and our life by maintaining a commendable work & life balance. That does not mean we should not step up and do the needful to accomplish an important task, but we must also think of our personal self and make sure we take time out to refresh. 
 
One can maintain this balance by getting organized. Time management is the main essence when it comes to maintaining work-life balance. Spending more time in office doesn't necessarily translate into productivity. One who doesn’t have a good work-life balance can be successful but not happy. To achieve both, it's necessary to focus on four life quadrants: work, family, friends and self. All four are equally important. If we focus on all these and maintain discipline, it's more-or-less a done deal. 
 
This fact was illustrated in an excellent way by a professor of philosophy in his class. When he stood before his class, students noticed that he had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty pickle jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
 
 
So, the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. 
 
The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes".
 
The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.
 
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -the small stuff”.
 
 
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play your favorite sport”.
 
“There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend." 
 
Therefore, after this beautifully explained scenario, we must look at life beyond professional achievements. We strive for professional success where we dedicate ourselves to the job and at the end of the year our list of achievements gives us a promotion or a hike. What we can do is to have a list of personal goals as well and keep striving to achieve them. Personal competency with respect to our family and personal enhancement is as important as professional competency. This will keep our loved ones as happy as we try to keep our boss. This certainly will provide us with our much needed “Life & Work Balance”. 
 

Read 80 More Essay Topics

Stay informed, Stay ahead and stay inspired with MBA Rendezvous