Work Life Balance: Work Life a Balancing Act

Australians are loosing their laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue to work longer hours, exercise less and neglect our leisure and family time.

Recent research indicates that 67 per cent of Australian professionals spend at least 20 hours a week thinking about their job when they should be relaxing, and less than half take their entitled annual leave.

Why is juggling work and life priorities an increasingly difficult challenge for many people?

Could it be we are trying to pack more and more into our busy lives?

Or is it the fact we are now so overloaded with information that our attention span is getting shorter and shorter as we strive to wade through the deluge of messages now coming at us in a range of forms.

The Gartner group has found that we spend on average an hour a day dealing with emails and that only includes work related communication.

We are creating unnecessary stress for ourselves, which is taking a heavy toll on our families, not to mention our health.

Is this due to the information rich society we now live in?

Marketers in the US now know the average teenager is exposed to more than 3000 discreet advertising messages each day and by the time they have reached 18 they will have seen more than 10 million.

How do you manage family commitments while enhancing your career and dealing with all this increased clutter?

Well, most people are aware of their tendency to overload on work or information but simply don't know what to do to get their life back to a healthy balance.

Being successful isn't only about your career and your possessions, it's about waking up every day and feeling good about the person you are and the life that you have created.

Many people are searching for ways to achieve positive and lasting change both in and out of work.

As Paul Valery said early in the last century "the trouble with the future is - it isn't what it used to be".

The reality is many people are now living out someone else's life dreams without leaving the comfort of their own lounge room. Why renovate your house or makeover your garden, when you can fantasise and watch someone else do it on TV for you?

If you find yourself in this twilight zone you are not alone. Perth has more sunshine than any other capital yet Western Australians watch on average 14 hours a week of television.

Most people spend more time watching TV than taking time to create positive changes in their lives.

Life is not a rehearsal so why not step up and make a difference?

Take the example of two Perth primary school girls; Sarah Duff and Sarah Poggioli both aged 11 years. They raised enough money to hire a plane to fly over their school pulling a banner with the following message: "believe you can reach your goals, then you can".

It is amazing how children can help put life into perspective.

So what are the secrets to a healthy work life balance in a busy and demanding world? Here are the Top 5 ways you can get the life you deserve.

1. Work at being an optimist and take action. Take a positive attitude to life, get out and do things. Make things happen and take action.

2. Have strong self-belief. Believe in your potential to create the life you really want for you and your family.

3. Exercise regularly and eat well. Your physiology directly influences the quality of your life.

4. Visualise happy endings, schedule fun, and keep life simple. Make time to enjoy life. To laugh. To take time out. 5. Find perspective. Take the helicopter view to see the big picture and delegate if you can't do it all yourself.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.com.

efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..
In The News:

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.
DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.
Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.
Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.
Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.
A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.
South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.
Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALLĀ·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.
Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.
Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.
NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.
Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.
Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Nothing In-Between

Are you on the right track?Stop for a while, look... Read More

Changing Your Luck

In this week's New Age Notebook, I am going to... Read More

Success Analysis - The Concept of Critical Mass

How many times have you thought about being successful, famous,... Read More

It Takes Competence to Change!

This article is about a subject that few people think... Read More

Modelling Your Way to Success

The fastest way to succeeding in anything, be it online... Read More

If Only, If Only, If Only

Remove these words from your vocabulary!The words "If only ?"... Read More

Top Ten Ways To Create Positive Behavior Change

1. Open your mind to new ideas: Positive behavior change... Read More

What It Takes To Be A Champion

What is a champion really? Sure, all success oriented people... Read More

To Succeed Greatly, You Must...

(1) Climb up from under the limitations of circum?stances and... Read More

You Know How, But Do You Know Why?

An unexamined life is not worth living ? SocratesAll too... Read More

Top 10 Secrets to Success

Much has been researched, written and taught about success. One... Read More

STOP Trying Harder

You've been searching for self improvement or personal development. Trying... Read More

Life Issues Pt. 1 - Success

Hello everybody and a good day (or night !) to... Read More

Easy Steps to Work-Life Balance

Knowing when to disconnect, shut it off, unplug, or walk... Read More

Purpose in Amsall?s Success Mindset Tripod

Here are the 3 elements of the "Purpose" leg in... Read More

Manifesting Wealth

Many people talk or write about the science of success... Read More

Success In An Ever Changing World?

Well, it's that time of the year again. No, I... Read More

The Failure Misconception

Most dictionary entries would define failure as the simple lack... Read More

Reading For Success

We live in the information age, dominated by the development... Read More

10 Universal Principles of Success

Success is not something that only a chosen few can... Read More

Bill Gates: Why He is the Richest Man in the World

Bill is a man for the people, of the people... Read More

Who Else Wants to Keep Failing?

Who wants to carry on being a failure?Failure. Not a... Read More

Fear of Success? Fear of Failure?

What's holding you back?One of my clients came to me... Read More

Have You Planned Your New Years Revolutions?

Revolution:a sudden, radical, or complete change a fundamental change in... Read More

How a Biscuit Taught Me a Priceless Lesson in Life

There are no two greater ironic comparisons than that of... Read More

cleaning lady near Wilmette ..