Seeking Advice

Hi, Mark, you look stressed out recently, how's life?

Hi, Sharon. I'm finding it hard to balance work and life.

I feel like I'm always working late with no time for anything but the job.

But you always seem to have time for your personal life.

What's your secret?

There's no secret, really.

It's about knowing what you need to do, and arranging it around what you'd like to do.

For example, if I have dinner plans one night, I'll get into work earlier to meet my deadlines ahead of schedule.

But I think that is hard.

Even if I've done all my work for the day, I'll probably be hit with a new assignment at 5 o'clock.

Well, sometimes working late is unavoidable, but you also need to set boundaries.

Working so late every day isn't healthy.

Haven't you heard of "the power of no"?

Well… No. What does it mean?

It means that you shouldn't be afraid to turn down something when you have too much work.

You're allowed to say, "I can't finish this by today. Can I get it to you tomorrow?"

But if I do that, won't people be upset?

As long as you're reliable, they'll be fine.

In my experience, doing a good job is better than doing a rushed job.

But people won't give you more time to do your job unless you ask for it.

That's really good to know!

I guess because I'm still new here I didn't know I could do that.

Yeah. Do your work well, but also try to have fun a few times a week.

It's good for your productivity.

If you work all the time but don't make time for yourself, you'll burn out.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try it out.

Good luck!

Questions

How does he feel about his job?

> he only has time for his job

What is he finding hard to do?

>Balancing work and life

How has he looked recently?

> stressed out

How does she balance work with her personal life?

> she arranges work around her personal plans

What does she arrange her work around?

>Her personal life

Why does he think it is hard to balance his schedule?

>he often gets new work at the end of the day.

If she has dinner plans, how does she meet her deadlines?

> she will get into work early

Why does he needs to set boundaries?

> he has no work-life balance

What shouldn't he be afraid to do when he is busy?

> turn down new assignments

If someone is reliable...

>they are trusted by others

What does she think is better than doing a rushed job?

>doing a good job

Why should he try to have fun every week?

>it is good for his productivity.

What will happen if he doesn't make time for himself?

>he will burn out