Work-Life Balance I

A survey noted that many Hong Kongers need to work long hours and hence cannot have a proper balance between work and life. Strictly speaking this is only true to those people who manage to separate their work and life very clearly. For some people it is difficult or almost impossible to do so as their work is strictly speaking, also their life. For example, as an architect, I enjoy my creative job and I have never regard it as ‘work’ per se; it is also my life. The ‘fusion’ has indeed enriched my total life. Perhaps it is more important to integrate the two elements rather than finding ways to separate them. However, I agree that this depends on one’s perception of ‘life’.

I suggest that anyone who find it impossible not to work long hours, to make a real attempt to inject some ‘life’ element into the ‘work’ element. I believe there are many ways to integrate the two elements, such as to make serious attempt to like what one is doing and believing in the meaning of the work. You will for sure lead a happier life. For those who object to such perception, the only way is to balance the two elements by organizing the schedule more efficiently.

The essence of the balance, is to be happy, whatever the situation is.

(Post-script note: Also published in Talkback The E-mail Forum in the South China Morning Post dated 23 October 2008 Thursday.)