Are you living life part-time or full time?
Several weeks ago I twittered this: “Full time work or part time work? Full time life or part time life?”
It occurred to me that night how comfortable we are talking about part-time/full-time work, and yet we almost never discuss the concept of part-time/full-time living!
There is very much a cultural belief that work comes before all else. That life is supposed to take second place after work, in the remaining time. And that one must be at all times gainfully employed.
This notion was certainly one that I have been subscribing to for most of my adult life. My recent few years in Singapore – where every single professional I know worked 10-14 hours a day – has really brought this to the fore.
When survival is an issue, it is easy to put work first if we need the money. Or if we are totally in love with our work. In either case, the cost of putting work before life is probably still high.
I realise I know a lot about building a career, setting up and kicking off projects, etc. But how much do I know about building a life? What does that mean anyway?
I suspect the answer is a whole lot less black and white given the nature of life. Perhaps a dynamic hybrid of working and living…
