work/life balance | Journey

So, you think every one of your friends has an exciting job except for you. Feelings of envy, jealousy, or maybe even resentment can cloud your mind and cause you to doubt your feelings about your own job. Maybe it’s their company credit card that pays for all those so-called “networking dinners,” business trips to exotic places like Europe, the Bahamas, or New York City – hey, that’s exotic for some people – or invitations to all the upscale parties with very important people in the industry. While at your typical 8-5 job, the biggest perk is getting a pat on the back for a job well done.

If you sit around wondering how you can find a glamorous job, you may start to dwell on all the negative aspects of your job and completely overlook why you got into your profession in the first place. You begin to forget about the positive attributes your employer or position offers, which can take a toll on your work, attitude, and relationships. There is a fine line between admiration and jealousy, so before you become too envious of a friend’s job, keep the following in mind.

The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. You’ve heard this expression a time or two, and it couldn’t be more true in this scenario. A job that might have the perks of travel, flashy dinners, or high profile parties could also correlate into long hours at the office, very few weekends off, and hardly any time for friends and family. People often look at other jobs and think about how much better they sound than their own jobs, but the truth is every job has its pros and cons.

Find the good in your job. Instead of thinking about all the negative aspects of your job, focus on what drew you to your job in the first place. Think about your relationships with co-workers, paid vacation time, or the time you’re able to spend away from work to be with your friends or family. Sometimes, the perks of a so-called glamorous job don’t outweigh the benefits of a traditional job.

So many of us focus on the things that we don’t have that we forget to be thankful for the things we do have. So, the next time you start feeling jealous of your friends’ jobs, stop comparing their careers with your own because they probably have things they dislike about their job as well.

Ebenezer Scrooge – the self-centered, tight-fisted, hum bug in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – is this week’s bad boss. His constant malice, degrading demeanor, and entire lack of work/life balance make him the classic bad boss.

While there’s a great deal to be said for hard work, knowing how to balance business with life is an important and necessary skill that eluded Scrooge for much of his career. He spent most of his life at work and expected his employee, Bob Crachit, to do the same, only reluctantly giving him Christmas day off.

Have you found that your work/life balance can be more work than life? In order to keep pace with a workaholic boss, here are three things you can do to reprioritize your life and still meet their expectations.

1. Discuss and understand your employer’s expectations
2. Take time to evaluate your goals and priorities
3. Establish an agreed-upon plan in advance, including deadlines and time off.

To view a clip of Ebenezer Scrooge in action, click here.

Share your bad boss stories at www.worstbosses.com. For more information about 100 Worst Bosses – Learning from the Very Worst How to Be Your Very Best and the Movin’ on Up Bad Boss of the Week, click here.

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