10 Tips for How To Have a Successful Career AND a Happy Family!

Post date: Feb 27, 2016 9:16:08 AM

Glen Smyth - Sales Professional

Aug 31, 2014

One of the greatest balancing acts you will have as you build a successful career, is putting the required hours in that you need to succeed - without sacrificing your family in the process!

We all know of a colleague who was so determined to earn the big dollars to provide his family with a great lifestyle...only to find that when he reached that pinnacle...his family had disintegrated before his very eyes!

When one of my sons was a teenager and I was overseas on a business trip I received a call from home to say that he had broken up with his girlfriend and was absolutely devastated!

It ended up being one of those long, expensive phone calls from a hotel that seemed to charge about a dollar for every second you were on a call from your room!

However, sometimes that's the price you need to pay to keep the family bonds strong as you build your career.

The last of my three children got married earlier this year, so as I reflect on the lessons I've learnt as I've built my career and created what I believe is a pretty happy family, I thought I'd share my 10 Tips for Creating a Work/Family Balance.

1. When You're At Home - Be Home!

Learning to switch off from your work once you walk through the front door is essential for your family. They need and deserve your undivided attention if your time spent with them is really going to mean anything at all.

Create some kind of mental trigger in your commute home that enables you to leave 'work' at the office, and become the family man or woman you need to be when you greet your family.

2. Create Appointments in Your Diary for Your Family

If your family times are important to you - as you say they are - then put your family in your diary. If you have to pick your kids up from their sports training...create an appointment.

If you have to be at an event at your child's school...create an appointment.

That way when someone asks to see you (and you know you've made a commitment to your wife or family to be somewhere), you can check your diary and say without any guilt at all, 'Sorry, but I already have an appointment'.

3. Discuss With Your Manager About the Importance of Your Family

Some managers have become so focussed on their work that they have already paid too high a price - and they don't have a family to go home to anymore!

Don't let their past mistakes and 'out of balance' work life impact on what is important to you. Instead be honest about your priorities.

Let your manager know that you're willing to work hard and put the hours in on a consistent, daily basis...but not at the expense of your family.

4. Plan at Least One Holiday With Your Family Each Year

One of the best things my wife and I have done over the years is take our kids on great family holidays.

In fact we've gone without other 'material' things to invest our money in trips to go snow skiing in Australia and Canada, theme park holidays to the Gold Coast, and casual, relaxing holidays to beautiful locations just a few hours away from home in our own State.

These holiday memories are what our family still talk about today, even though they are now all married and have moved away from home.

5. Don't Sacrifice Your Family at the Altar of Busy-ness

I know of a colleague who comes into the office very early in the mornings, so that he doesn't have to deal with his young children! I feel very sorry for his wife who is carrying the burden on her own.

I see many other people who are leaving home before their kids are out of bed in the morning, and getting home after they've gone to bed at night?

Is your career...or any career... really worth that kind of sacrifice?

Before you know it - your kids have grown up and gone. Don't miss out on these special years of your life!

6. Make Time to be at Your Kid's Special Events

School Assembly's, Sports Carnivals, Music Recitals, Dance Performances - these are all really important events in your kid's lives.

Seeing you take time off from work to be there to support and encourage them means more to your children than you will ever realise!

(That's not true actually...you will realise it when you see their expressions of joy on their faces as they spot you in the crowd!)

These are moments in time you will never get back if you miss them now.

7. Celebrate Your Successes With Your Family

When I sold my share in my Personal Insurance Consulting business I made a promise to take my family out for dinner and give each of my three children (who were aged between about 7-14 at the time) a gift of $100 to celebrate the success of the sale.

I still smile each time I look through the photo album to see the big grins on their faces as they are holding their $100 bills!

It's important to reward your family for their sacrifices when you hit your targets, reach your goals and achieve your milestones. It helps them understand how much you appreciate their support.

8. If You Have to Travel - Keep In Touch (and don't forget the presents!)

At one stage in my career I was doing quite a bit of travelling throughout Australia.

For my children, the highlight of the trip was Dad bringing home a small gift.

It didn't have to be big or expensive, and sometimes that gift was bought at the airport just before I jumped on the plane to come home...but it always made coming home that little bit more special, and the time away a little more bearable.

These days with texting and Social Media, it's so easy to keep in touch with your family while you're travelling...so make this a priority...not just something you do every now and again.

9. Don't Kid Yourself with the 'Quality vs Quantity' Time Argument

This is one 'cop-out' I've tried not to ever use. But I've heard it many times from busy professionals and executives.

It goes something like this: 'I may not be able to give my children a lot of quantity time, but I make sure that the time we do spend is really quality time!'

Stop kidding yourself! Your children certainly aren't buying that line of thinking.

Do you know how your children spell love? T.I.M.E

10. Finally, Remember This...

Nobody who was laying on their death-bed in hospital about to breathe their last breath has ever been heard to say,

"I wish I'd spent more time at the office!"

You know what they can be heard saying? I wish I'd spent more time with my kids. I wish I'd invested more time and energy in my marriage. I wish I'd done more with the people I love in my life.

I hope these 10 Tips might help you to change course if you need to...or maybe even just make a little correction here and there...so that you can get to the end of your life and know that even though you have been wildly successful...it hasn't come at the cost of your family and loved ones!

You can check out more great information at my blog: www.glensmyth.com