Finally the New Year is here and as we reflect on the past year, some constant questions that rest in our minds but give us no rest are: “Am I making the best use of my time? Is there something else that I could be doing to make my life worth living?” A significant number of those who have been working a considerable amount of time are constantly aiming for a work–life balance situation. This may not be easy as they are so used to the 8 to 5pm routine at their jobs that they have been doing all their lives—old habits die hard. However, the dot com workforce is more open to change, comfort and low levels of stress at the jobs they choose. Yes, a pay check is vital for all jobseekers and will probably always be a priority but the younger adults who have just joined the workforce are increasingly searching for the type of work that will enable them earn an adequate sum of cash, as well as give them the liberty to live their lives in the way they want – not tied down to an office desk or cooped up in an office for long hours. They dream of a job that allows them to tailor their work around their sleep time, hobbies, and travel at leisure, keep up with their social networks, while at the same time, be able to deliver the results they have to. The desire to have control over one’s environment and time by the millennials – people born just before and after the new millennium, has many bonuses for both employers and employees. For instance, a software developer who works from home, requires no transport, food or any other allowance. Money that the employer would spend on these and the wear and tear on the use of office utilities can instead be injected elsewhere. Likewise, if you work from home, you can choose your work hours which can leave you time to do other family activities, like care for the children or cook healthy homemade meals. Because you do not have to travel to work daily, you save on the time and the money you would have used up so you get more work done. You require a lot more discipline though as you may fritter the time away if you are not careful to put all the distractions away and get on with your job.
