Gary Woltal's Blog

Gary,

Not only has work crept into my house..... but it is here full time.  I work from home and find it to be both a blessing and a curse.  You just have to find the time to shut the office door and enjoy the family.  As usual.... insightful post. 

Gary, I believe one of the reasons that Americans are not as healthy as their European counterparts is because we don't take time for ourselves.  We are workaholics, and the more we work, the more consumers expect us to work, and the cycle continues.

I've drawn a line -- I am NOT available 24/7.  I don't need to be.  I schedule "down" time with my family and just for myself.  I'm also much saner now :-) 

Martin: I think working at home is ideal despite the "curse" aspect of it because you can add more time into your day by eliminating the commute travel time. But you have to set the boundaries too when "work" is over.

Kris: I think those of us who set boundaries are way ahead of those heading to an early grave. We have to get off this hamster wheel for sanity sake.

I find that taking an hour or two a day for myself is pretty easy.  I go outside for a walk, take pictures, read, cook.  My problem comes in trying to get more than an hour or so.  To take an entire day off work...I find impossible.  Not that others are so demanding...it is ME that is so demanding.  Guilt...The big guy...comes creeping up and wants to know why I am just laying around enjoying myself.  I am working on this...but it is a challenge for me.  And unhealthy.

Gary,  Have you also noticed the parallel effect on our families ?  With everone going in different directions all the time it is rare that my family gets together in the same spot at the same time ! 

Renee: You bring up an excellent point about guilt associated with free time. That's why I think it is essential to "tune out" for stretches of time and not be in contact with the world. So many workaholics cannot enjoy vacations. It's terrible.

Bill: Coordinating family time together is tough in today's hectic pace world. We all just have to try and synch up. We just have to plan a "date" with our spouse or have "family time."

Gary, along with the Death of Free Time has come the Death of the Family Dinner, I'm told.  Because each family member is running in different directions, there is rarely a dinnertime they're all present.  What a shame for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the over-use of fast foods.

I struggle with getting "me time" to read, exercise and just think.

Karen: It is interesting you mention the loss of the "family dinner" in many homes. They say very tight knit, healthy homes maintain that tradition. Kids are less likely to get into drugs, trouble, etc. It is tough today compared to many years ago for sure.

Gary,  Having an office at home can be a blessing and a curse.  It is just as you said, there has to be balance.  When we were in Rome a few years back it was an eye opener.  Everything including most restaurants closed or slowed down at about 4pm-7pm.  Then the streets became busy again and restaurants opened.  The work day was over for most and it was time to get out into the community and socialize.  Kind of reminded me of a past time here.  And in the morning...the children walked in the rain to school, accompanied by their mothers under umbrellas with goulashes on!  Made you really stop and think.  It was quite reminiscent, evoking a feeling of longing for a different time in this country.  In the end, I guess we all make choices as to what is truly important.  The problem is we are so busy to do just that.  Great post Gary!

Kathleen: Thanks for validating the European and perspective that others in the world like in Rome have. I think we are driven too much by a bottom line, profit, corporate culture. People just must live too much in fear of losing their jobs. I think in Europe the managers and the workers are on the same page as far as life/work balance. It may be changing because the twenty somethings don't want to live to work like the Boomer set, and aren't tolerating those jobs. So we'll see where it goes. But we could learn a lot from what you described in Rome.

Gary, In Paris this year I noticed much of what Kathleen saw in Rome.  They truly take time out to enjoy things, you are never rushed...6 paid weeks vacation, time spent with friends and family where they are not rushing.  We could learn so much from them!

Carole: That's it. I'm moving to Paris or Rome. Seriously, you are right, we can learn so much from other cultures.

Gary, I have been in business my whole life and there is very little free time when you have to run any business and run it efficiently.  Not that I didn't make some free time in my life, especially for my boys, but it is tough to do sometimes.  You have to find a way to balance your life.

The advent of technology was supposed to make our lives easier... and it has, but it's also made us more efficient, which in turn we work more.  It can be a hard cycle to break.  In the summer we keep the MH packed and by Friday afternoon we're gone... One of our favorite places to camp is just out of cell range. :)  It's great. 

Hi Gary, I am a firm believer now that you can't let real estate control your life....you must control real estate.  Great blog.

I know I have no free time anymore.  I always said no work on Sunday, sure enough, it happened.  This Sunday I vow to watching the Super Bowl after church and not touching my computer.  Now that's a challenge!