Be the person of your word

The more things change, the more things stay the same. It is that time of the year again when we start reflecting on what we have accomplished in the previous year and making new year resolutions. As career and business people, most times we say “My family is the best part of my life and I will spend more time with them this year”. Another year comes and goes without living up to our promises and we blame work for being unreliable. It is not easier said than done. You can do it. When you have values that act as your compass, you are bound to head towards the right direction.

Work-life balance plays out in our lives and how we have a choice to keep our promises or not. The reality is that with any choice comes ownership of results whether intended or not because when we choose a particular behaviour, it means anticipating and taking responsibility for the consequences that arise from that choice. Work-Life Balance does not mean an equal balance. A balanced life is a personal choice, influenced by your circumstances, your life goal and therefore priorities.

I believe that we should begin everything with the end in mind. Having a personal vision for your life not only helps you work out who is important in your life but also what is important.

How many more promises are you willing to break to your family and the people who truly love and care for you so that you can get further up in the corporate ladder or to clinch that business deal? It is not work that is to be blamed for your lack of work-life balance. It is YOU. Take responsibility for your choices. Make choices that you can live with. Not even a call or meeting with the President of the country or any other for that matter should cause you to stray from making your family and sense of integrity paramount, if that is what you say you treasure. There were many crossroads we take with each choice and decision. But what really counts, as Martin Luther King Jr once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”.