Climbing down the corporate ladder has been one of the best decisions of my life. There are certain things I miss about having a management position, but they are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. I am pretty damn pleased with my allocation of time to work / life balance. I have ample time to enjoy the hobbies I find rich & rewarding. Scaling back my hours at work has reduced my income, but I have avoided falling into expensive expenditures and hobbies. My focus is honed very well in the work place. I do not have all of the flotsam and jetsom of the work environment distracting me from the projects I am involved in. I am able to focus my problem solving, process improvement, project management, and technical skills with much more acuity. Work less time and get more done. Isn’t that an interesting concept. I have managed to remove all emotional investment from my workplace contributions, so that is another big plus. Not getting pulled into the drama and spiral of negativity begets negativity. In some way I have become a pariah as I no longer substantiate or validate those cycles of negativity.

This leaves so much more time for other worthy pursuits, like life. I am not coming home physically or emotionally drained. I have lots of energy left at the end of the work day to devote to my hobby pursuits. Family time, time with friends, projects at home; these all benefit from more time and energy. It sure has helped my perspective too. That can probably be named as the biggest gain. I feel like I look at things a bit differently now. Hard to explain and communicate to someone who does not get to experience this. It sure feeds the cycle of gratitude. This is a good thing.

Today I want to really give thanks to a healthy work / life balance; I am glad I found you. It is more likely that I should say, “I am glad you found me”.

Balance

The cyclone derives its powers from a calm center.  So does a person.  ~ Norman Vincent Peale