| 1> | | | | "I also made a conscious decision to take a position |
| Life balance is more than how we spend our time, | | | | with an organization and people with whom I share a |
| it’s also how we feel about that time & | | | | similar mindset and values and where I am able to be |
| how present we are each moment. This article | | | | flexible After all, I want to attend my kids practices |
| features four people from different backgrounds | | | | and sports games (its not just for them, I need to |
| who found different ways of achieving life/work | | | | do it for me). |
| balance. I don’t know why so many articles | | | | I learned to be realistic about what I can do with |
| on life/work balance seem to focus on people who | | | | my time, so we eat a lot in different restaurants. I |
| suddenly decide they’ve had it with working all | | | | don’t have to spend time cooking and our |
| the time and within one hour quit their job, buy a | | | | whole family can enjoy our meals together. I know |
| yacht or a jet, grab their family or their best friends | | | | I’m in balance now because I can sleep at |
| or their dog and travel the world for a year or two. | | | | night." From Solo to StabilityLia Shigemura has been |
| They then get touted as the role model for the rest | | | | the diversity director of ABM for a little over 6 |
| of us who either like our work, can’t leave | | | | months. While some people leave the corporate |
| right now, or just want to enjoy life at home. | | | | environment for their own business in order to gain a |
| Besides, being in balance is more than just what you | | | | better life balance, Lia gave up her own successful |
| do with your time, its also how you feel and think all | | | | business to get back into corporate life. "I loved |
| of the time. | | | | having my own business and due to hard work and |
| The reality is that wherever you go you take | | | | good fortune, I was very successful. Much of that |
| yourself with you. I can go to the woods for a week | | | | success, however, meant that I was constantly |
| to meditate, but if I’ve never meditated, or | | | | marketing myself and selling. The cycle was unending |
| gained some inner peace or learned to be happy with | | | | and relentless. When I wasn't with a client or in |
| who I am rather than what I do, I’ll go up to | | | | meetings, I was on the phone. Life planning became |
| the woods and count the minutes until I can leave or | | | | difficult as I found that I often placed my clients' |
| find some way to distract myself from myself. Life | | | | need over my own." |
| balance is more than how we spend our time, its also | | | | "I had been vaguely contemplating working within an |
| how we feel about that time and how present we | | | | organization for a while, but hadn't begun a serious |
| are each moment. It doesn’t always take one | | | | job search when a former colleague, who had |
| major event to want to change or to know | | | | recently been hired by ABM Industries, asked if I |
| something is not right for you. It's often a series of | | | | was interested in applying for a challenging position as |
| things. | | | | director of diversity, inclusion and training. I saw it as |
| I’ve studied the subject, changed my | | | | a terrific opportunity to become involved in the |
| unbalanced ways and eliminated some major | | | | ground-up development of such important company |
| stresses, and there are still times when I know I | | | | strategies and initiatives. With the work I do now I |
| need to slow down and reassess my priorities. | | | | can help create change that will positively benefit |
| In this article I feature four people from very | | | | 75,000 people and their families. The scope of my |
| different backgrounds who realized they needed to | | | | position is tremendous and offers many opportunities. |
| jump off the never-ending treadmill of stress and | | | | And the energy that I used to devote to marketing |
| overload, and make some concrete changes. These | | | | and selling (and worrying) is now better spent on |
| are four people who found different ways of | | | | productive aspects of work that I much more |
| achieving life/work balance without sailing the seas or | | | | enjoy." Lia misses some of her international travel she |
| flying the skies for a year. | | | | likes not living on airplanes, and gets to spend more |
| Conscious ChangeRoss Pike has been managing | | | | time at home and on vacation with her partner of 14 |
| partner of Diversified Maintenance Systems, a | | | | years, Helen Zia. "I can now sign up for classes like |
| facilities management company for the last year and | | | | yoga that are more than one session because I have |
| a half. When I interviewed him, he was calm, and | | | | a better idea of my schedule.. I can actually relax and |
| focused. I learned that he wasn’t always this | | | | be more present with my partner. This is a wonderful |
| way. There were times in the past when he | | | | journey." When I spoke with Lia, I knew she was |
| didn’t take the time he wanted with his | | | | serious about this because she was on her way to |
| family, and when he did, he was often tied to his | | | | Carmel, California to relax for a week by the water. |
| Blackberry. Before I was with Diversified | | | | Taking Flight at FiftyMarcie Lee Thomas is a principal |
| Maintenance, I was Division President for another | | | | consultant for HCMS Group, Inc. (Human Capital |
| organization. I was responsible for over 7,000 | | | | Management Services), a health information company. |
| employees. I had no personal time It was always the | | | | She loves what she does which is developing |
| customers time. My day started early and ended late. | | | | educational programs and managing client accounts. |
| I had to keep up with east and west coast time." | | | | Since I began working for the founders and |
| I was a hamster on a treadmill, always working, | | | | principals of HCMS (over 11 years ago), my life is a |
| and always tired. I needed to make a change. I | | | | lot more balanced. I work with people who share the |
| decided to be open to new opportunities where I | | | | same philosophy and who treat people as assets and |
| could go home every night and spend real time with | | | | not as liabilities. Our clients also agree with our |
| my wife. Soon after a colleague one of the | | | | philosophy. I didn’t feel that way in other |
| owners of Diversified Maintenance, called. When his | | | | work environments. Before Marcie worked with |
| friend told him they were seeking an additional | | | | HCMS staff she worked for a county agency that |
| partner for their company, and asked Ross for | | | | provided health care programs for county employees. |
| recommendations, Ross suggested himself. Within six | | | | We were expending our intellectual capital, but |
| weeks he had left his old job as Division President of | | | | received no recognition for our good work. There |
| a national organization and became an equity partner | | | | was no mechanism for employee appreciation or |
| of a much smaller organization. I left people that I | | | | recognition. We provided for the care of others |
| really liked, and took a big cut in my annual salary, | | | | without receiving care for ourselves. It was stressful, |
| but I get to see my wife every night. I also get to | | | | and I always felt responsible for outcomes even |
| spend more time with customers and less time with | | | | without the necessary control to effect change. I |
| so much paper work. I was constantly tired and | | | | wasn’t fulfilled workwise and I realized that I |
| could barely stay awake until ten. Now I enjoy | | | | was not in balance with who I was as a person. |
| staying up with my wife and watching Boston Legal | | | | Marcie went on to tell me she was contemplating |
| until eleven. I go to the gym now and take long | | | | leaving but hadn’t made any moves until I |
| walks, and my wife is happy because she can give | | | | saw someone get shot outside of the building where |
| me a longer to-do list. | | | | I worked. That was the moment when I said that all |
| Balanced and BeamingCatalina Ganis is Executive Vice | | | | the benefits, job security and retirement were not |
| President and Managing Director of Elliot Executive | | | | worth the stress, nor could those things help me feel |
| Source Ltd. and Senior Vice President of Elliot | | | | better about my job. She was fifty years old |
| Associates Inc., divisions of The Elliot Group LLC, a | | | | when she embarked on a new career. Other people |
| nationally recognized executive search firm specializing | | | | told her it made no sense to leave her county |
| in the Hospitality, Food Service, Manufacturing, | | | | position at that age and couldn’t believe that |
| Distribution and Retail Service Industries. Catalina helps | | | | she would take that risk. From the minute I |
| spearhead client development, long range strategic | | | | started working with the principals here, my stress |
| planning and is also responsible for managing senior | | | | began to lift. I finally felt that I was valued for my |
| level executive search assignments. She is the | | | | contributions and for the results I achieved. When |
| chairperson of the Multicultural Foodservice and | | | | I asked her what she did outside of work she replied |
| Hospitality Alliance. Catalina has been active with the | | | | I love to travel especially to Europe and Hawaii. I |
| Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) | | | | love visiting Paris. I exercise, dance, read, attend |
| Westchester Chapter in New York and the Chinese | | | | classes, and take time to go on spiritual/personal |
| School of Southern Westchester. She is married and | | | | growth retreats. I used to take vacations to get a |
| has three children After speaking with her it was | | | | break from stress, but it was still there when I went |
| clear to me that she and her family know how to | | | | back to work. Now, I’m feeling in balance |
| work together as a team and support each other in | | | | when I start my vacation and I’m still in |
| developing a good life balance. | | | | balance when I return. All four people Marci, Lia, |
| Before she worked at Elliot Associates, Catalina | | | | Catalina and Ross are very different from each other |
| worked in the hotel industry where she was on call | | | | but they all knew they were working too much, too |
| 24 hours a day. We worked too many hours and | | | | hard and not getting what they needed to balance |
| the wrong hours. I knew that I needed to change | | | | their personal and professional lives. Lia left her own |
| how I was working. Now, I have the luxury of being | | | | business to work for a large corporation, and Ross |
| able to work at home when I want. I make my own | | | | left a large organization to become managing partner |
| schedule and the work always gets done. It's | | | | of a much smaller business. Catalina and Marci both |
| important to me that I am able to spend time with | | | | knew that they needed more flexibility to put their |
| my family. When I travel I make sure that I take | | | | life in balance, pursue other interests and feel in |
| flights that allow me to see my children either in the | | | | control of their time. Each person made a conscious |
| morning or at night (I will leave the house at 4 am to | | | | decision to make a change, and be open to new |
| make that early morning flight so I can be home by | | | | opportunities. As we enter a new year, take an |
| 8pm that same day). The work I have now also | | | | assessment of what you do and how you live your |
| enables me to be involved in my children’s | | | | life. Do you complain about your job, relationships, or |
| classes and activities. Her parents and sister help | | | | lack of personal time? As you assess your life, if you |
| her, and she and her husband support each other. | | | | find any areas that you don’t like, make a |
| In order to have a good balance in our lives it is | | | | conscious choice to change and be open and willing |
| crucial that we learn to let go of things we | | | | to try new opportunities. Don’t wait, start |
| can’t control and to not waste time | | | | today. |
| complaining about the decisions we make." | | | | |