Many people make a lot of sacrifices for their career. The job market is so competitive these days that a lot of us hold onto positions that maybe aren’t right for us, simply because we are afraid we won’t get anything better. When we have bills to pay and a lifestyle to maintain, this pressure can become even more immense. Or, in some cases, there might not be any pressure at all; maybe you just genuinely love your job. But one very common reason for people giving up the role they love is because of its location. Think about it: when you buy a property, the first thing you look for is where it is based. There’s no point making an offer on your dream home when it is three hours away from your job, family and friends, unless you are willing to give up all that. A work/life balance is very important, and a lot of people whose jobs are based very far away from their personal base can struggle to achieve this. If you are sick of your job and work being so far apart, here are some things you can do to help close the gap.
Cut your commute
Ask anyone what they think about commuting and they will probably say that they hate it. Hours stuck in traffic before you’ve even got to work or not getting home until 8pm could easily put anyone in a bad mood. In light of this, some countries are in fact campaigning to get time spent travelling to work classed as work! If your commute is leaving a bad taste in your mouth, consider what you could do differently. If you hate using public transport, weigh up your options. Think about what it is you don’t like about it – is it the packed train or tube, or the buses never being reliable? If the time spent on public transport would be the same as what it would take you in a car, think about switching to your own vehicle instead. Or, if you currently drive but hate being stuck in traffic, do some research and see if there is a train route you can take that would get you there quicker. Sometimes you can get discounted tickets or passes if you are a frequent traveller, so speak to your local transport authority. It all depends on what is more important to you: comfort, time spent travelling or money.
Move closer to your office
If you adore your job and don’t want to leave it, you may find yourself in a bit of a predicament about where to live – especially if you also love the area you live in! There are a lot of reasons why moving house isn’t practical in this instance. Perhaps your child is settled at a really good school, and you have a lot of good friends who only live around the corner from you. Plus, buying a home, or a second home, is never an easy process. With this in mind, you might want to think about renting somewhere during the week that is closer to your office. The sacrifice you make here is that you don’t get to go home to your family every night. But if you are only getting home when your kids are in bed anyway due to a long commute, are you really missing out? By living closer during the week you can take the money you’d spend on the daily commute and put it towards a room or basic flat to live in Monday-Friday. Then you are free to have weekends with your family, as well as knowing that you have probably been more productive at work too. Take a few things from your family property to make your weekday flat feel like home – a company such as Herts & Essex Removals & Storage Ltd will be able to help you bring over any bulky items.
Telecommuting
The trend for telecommuting has boomed in the past few years. Many major companies are trying to cut their overheads by having fewer people in the office, and employees are often finding that their productivity levels are increasing as a result. Speak to your boss and see if this could be a viable option for you. Thanks to smartphones, video calling services and the internet we are more connected than ever before, so getting in contact with head office and fellow employees shouldn’t be much of an issue. Just make sure you have somewhere in your home that you can deem as ‘work space‘. Working from the sofa never goes to plan, and you will need to set guidelines for your children so that they understand when you are busy with work.
Image sources:
Image 1 / Image 2
