We’ve all heard of corporate ladder climbers who’ve earned the label “upwardly mobile”. But I bet you haven’t heard of many people being downwardly mobile. At least not by choice. I know of two physicians who limit their practice hours to allow more time for their young children. They actually chose the opposite course of most career-minded individuals: Down-scaling their jobs, passing up career opportunities and taking a cut in pay.As one of these doctors explained: “I saw many people on their death bed and I never heard one of them say he wished he’d spent more time at the office.” Now I realise most families could not afford to slash their work hours. After all, these doctors admit it’s their higher income that allows such flexibility.
Still, I like the idea of making a decision to arrange your schedule and lifestyle to give your kids your best hours, not just the leftovers. It’s a good idea not to add any new activity unless something equally engaging has been eliminated. Corralling your schedule and perhaps down-scaling your workload will require tough choices. But you and your family will come out winners in the end.
From TODAY, Voices - Monday, 05-July-2010
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