I Need More Work In My Work / Life Balance

Tim Brownson wrote a post about Work/Life Balance except he called it something else. Something rude that I couldn’t possibly repeat on this blog. We’re far too wholesome here.

He was basically saying that he ends up working long hours because he enjoys his work. Work is play and play is work. He works long and hard because he wants to and not because he has to.

I confess I felt a bit envious because I’ve reached a time in my life when I want to work my little socks off.

As much as I love being a stay at home dad, and as much as I love being a family man, I’m overcome by he desire to provide financially for my family.

I want to provide in a big way too. I don’t want to earn enough to survive, I want to earn enough to thrive and like Tim, I want to do it on my own terms.

I’ll be honest though. The money is not the only reason I want to get absorbed in work… I also feel a bit familied-out.

This Christmas and New Year was one of the best I can remember but the memory of our time together is being sullied by the unexpected extension to the holidays caused by the unusually severe (only by our pathetic standards) winter conditions we’re experiencing here in the UK.

The kids should have gone back to school this week and really and truly they needed to go back to school. They are bored out of their skulls and even taking them out in the snow twice each day building snow men and snow forts and snow villages doesn’t offset the boredom.

They’re bouncing off the walls.

It’s not just the kids either. My evenings are currently spent watching TV with my wife, and as nice as that is once in a while, I’ve had my fill of it now. I’m not a big TV watcher anyway – I’d rather do something constructive than simply watch for the sake of watching.

Normally it’s not a problem because when we’re not snowed in, my wife will usually go out playing sport or get involved in something to do with the board of school governors, leaving me time to do the things I want to do.

I feel bad for declaring that I’m overdosed on family because I have so much to be grateful for and nothing that anyone could describe as a real problem. But the fact remains, I want my life back. I want to build things. I want to make things. I want to achieve things.

I still have high hopes for 2010, but now I want to get on and make it all happen.

I can’t be the only person frustrated in this way – but admitting I want a bit of distance from family life probably won’t win me much sympathy.

All is not lost though. The snow fort doubles up as a handy retreat when it all gets too much! If only my family would stop whining when I banish them to it. Sheesh.