I remember the days when I used to raise to my alarm clock at 5am in the morning to allow me to set off to work at 5.30 every morning, clearly an example of someone who only knew how live to work not work to live. Frequently I was living out of a suitcase travelling thousands of miles every week, often staying away over weekends being unable to get home to see my young children. I may have had money as a result but not much of a life.
Later on I learnt that I didn’t get to keep the money, my riches and all that came with them were short lived so what was the point. My perspective at that time had been wrong and I wish I had known then what I do now.
I am now achieving success once more, but having learned so much in addition I can now enjoy things far more and am excited about life and how I can also help other people by showing them through my own experiences what I have learned. The most important thing is to make sure you work to live. Life is your priority. You will not celebrate the number of hours you’ve spent in the office when you come to reflect back over your life at the end of your days.
I wish I’d listened to my children when they were younger. They used to ask my wife why I had to work such long hours. She would tell them that I had to so we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and that we were able to pay for the bills and their schooling. But the truth is less is more. More time with their father while they grew up would have been far more compensation than a nice house, great holidays and private schools while they had them all. But I was caught up in the wrong mentality, I truly lived to work, and never saw how it could be possible to work to live. If I had I am sure things would have turned out differently. Now that I have understood this concept life is going great, but I do wish I’d got to know it so much sooner.
I sacrificed so much, and at the end had nothing to show for it. I had to start all over again. I learnt the hard way, but it has put me now in the position to make sure that not only do I make the most of every day but also that I can help others avoid the same mistakes I’ve made myself.
Let me Give You a few tips.
- Slow Down A Bit.
- Make Time For Your Loved Ones
- Have Fun
- Enjoy Your Work
- Keep your Passions Close
- Manage your time ruthlessly
- Set clear priorities
- Consider what is really urgent and has to be done, and what is really important to you in the long run.
- Draw up a list of your time waster you can eliminate.
Let me make it clear what I mean by Work to live. For me its being able to lead a balanced life and sees work for what it should be, doing something I love that enables me to make money and allows me time to enjoy doing things with my family and friends as well as making a difference in this world in which I live.
Whatever you do make the decision today to take control of your life and make sure that you now work to live.
Do you work to live, or live to work?
