checklist

MONTHLY CHECKLIST SERIES

You Can Work and
Have a Life Too

For many American employees, working and having a life are the impossible dream.
According to author Gloria Dunn, time is the culprit that keeps frustrated workers
from improving their current job conditions. Dunn tells workers how to find the time
they need to “reinvent” their work lives—create a better work/life balance.

Ask your boss or human resources department for a six-month or even a yearlong sabbatical.
Negotiate a shortened work schedule—either to work allotted hours in fewer days or to work fewer hours and days.
Telecommute part of the week, and commit yourself to use the time otherwise spent traveling to reinvent your work life.
Accumulate all your vacation, sick time and holidays, and take the days all at one time or add a portion of the time to a sabbatical.
Remove unnecessary meetings from your schedule.
Learn how to eliminate obstacles that waste time.
Create shortcuts by learning what work you needn’t do.
Eliminate stress that drains you of energy and time.
Learn to speed read and then read only absolutely necessary material. Get rid of the rest.
Reduce errors that double your work efforts.

Source: From Making a Living to Having a Life: A Book for the Working Challenged by Gloria Dunn. Published by Violin Publishing Co., Fairfax, California, 1999.