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2. Keep work and home separate. I know that sometime you need to do work at home, but then my question is do you get to take your baby to work when you don’t have a sitter? If you’re not allowed to bring home to work then don’t take work home! I know working at home sometimes must happen but it should be a rarity not a daily thing. And if you’re leaving work at a reasonable hour then doing work at home to try to hide the fact that your career is over running your home life then wake up. Really look at how much you work, even the home hours. You may be surprised. And you should keep home at home too. Unless you are at the very unusual workplace then try to keep home out of work too. Things happen, but again it should be a rare thing that you have to go in late because your sitter ditched you. (You should always have back up plans to your back up plans when you are a two career family.) Keep in mind I’m not talking about not having photos of your family at work. I do think that your coworkers should see that you have a life. But none of them should be subjected to an stress pouring over from your home life either, and it goes the opposite way for work. Your family should not be subjected to the stresses of work.
 

3. Change jobs or even careers if needed. This one only a few of us could really do. If your job or career, though sometimes it’s just the workplace, is bad for your home life then look elsewhere! This is the hardest to do. Most of us are secure where we are or at least we think we’re secure. There is no such thing as safety in seniority in most jobs and careers today. Believe me I worked in management and their attitude is that everyone is replaceable, even you! Do some research. Look around discretely. Be picky at your next job interview. There are wonderful companies out there who respect the work life balance. If more good workers, and I’ve found the hardest workers are those who keep a good work life balance, would switch to companies that respect this outlook then imagine how the not so nice companies would be forced to change.

It is all really about choices and granted that not all of us can make these choices we can make some of them. Keeping work and at work and home at home. Why do some people take work on vacations? Why do some of us check in just to see if everything is okay? Why answer the phone? Corporate America is using modern technology against us so we should use it against them, screen your calls. Could you imagine how just a few percent of the work force changing jobs or careers for more family friendly ones would make on the entire work environment? Good companies who respect the work life balance deserve to have the best workers.
 

Maybe I’m naive? I don’t know but I was brought up that you give an honest days work for an honest days pay. And that’s all. You don’t give up your life to work and you don’t sacrifice your life for a career no matter who much you love it.
I miss not doing more with my photography career right now. I’ll admit it. I wish I had more time to work. But I work at home and my daughter comes first, I only work when we have no other family activities planned and my husband can watch my daughter. I’m not making a lot of money at my job right now. But someday my daughter will be going off to start her own life, and then I think I’ll have a lifetimes worth of memories to cherish, instead of regrets at not spending more time with my family. And then I can work as much as I want to, and I’ll be happy that I’ve kept my priorities straight.

Copyright 2007 Kelly Paal
Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. She started her own business Kelly Paal Photography. She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. Please visit www.kellypaalphotography.com for more FREE how to articles.