Work life balance. Are we too connected?

No.

Before I continue with my rant, first, why I am the national authority on being connected.

1. My contact details are available to everyone who cares to go on our company website.

2. My email is on Blackberry and is therefore, 24x7. The BB doubles as a cellphone so its never off.

3. BB lets me connect to GTalk and Yahoo messenger. My laptop, like my internet, is always on unless I'm up and about.

So when I say, I am probably the most connected person around, I am not far from the truth.

So coming back to the quesiton, are we overconnected?

No. Quite simply, that is the answer. I am sick and tired of people saying ooooh we are so over connected its hampering the work - life balance.

WHAT work life balance? You bust your ass in school, then college and then B-school (if you busted your ass enough to get into one) for what? To get a job. To make money. So you can look yourself in the mirror, your friends and family in the face and say, "I am somebody. I have made it"

Everyone today, from the Peon to the CEO works 10-12 hours a day. Minimum. So your work-life balance is pretty bad anyway.

Save for Prince Henry, everybody works for money. Job satisfaction etc etc is bull.
And those who claim otherwise are hypocrites and I would like to see them go join an NGO and work at minimum wages.

So to say instead of money I'd rather have "work-life balance" is stupendous bullshit. It just means that you don't think they are paying you enough. This is your problem for not negotiating hard enough.

Everyone dreams of a 6-7 (or more) figure monthly pay check. Guess what? No one is going to pay you that kind of money for working 9-5. Face it. They wont. So just live with it and buckle up.

Technology and being always connected have infact restored my work life balance.

Managing a division is pretty time consuming and if it depends on building relations, doubly so but being connected in many of these ways gives me more free time than most.

The "How" is simple.

Everyone has packed days and easy days. When my days are packed. I work as long as it takes wherever I may be. But even if I get free for 5 minutes, I am already connected to the ones I care about.

Ofcourse, during the easy days, I can spend time with my family, my girlfriend and even just be by myself.

Also, since I am always connected, I never waste any time and fit in 16 hours into 8.
This means a lot more free time

I guess technology is there to help you. What is key is for you to exploit it for your benefit.

Ultimately, its about what you want and how bad you want it. Happy people are those who know what they want and go for it. Whether it is a fat pay cheque, a flashy job or family time.

As for me, I want it all and so far, I have it!