More and more professionals today are sweating it out to make it big in the corporate jungle and achieve all that they want, in the shortest time possible. This is obviously putting them under tremendous pressure to accomplish more by giving their best and stretching beyond limits
Glancing at herself quickly in the mirror on the way out, Priya tugged at her purse and almost tripped on her three-year-old daughter. Unwilling to eat her breakfast with her nanny, Rimi, her daughter was crying and asking for her mama. Priya’s heart sank as she bent down to pick her up and handed her over to the nanny. She had an important presentation to make this morning and she was already running late. Rushing outside, she stood in the doorway for a moment and took a deep breath in, smelling the lovely roses in her garden and the cool breeze of the winter morning. Tuning in to her favourite music, she started her car and zoomed out, just about avoiding a racing cyclist.
Facing a similar morning rush was Tarang, who had returned from a hectic on-site visit early morning at 2 a.m. Having barely slept for two hours, he was back in a cab rushing to office for a client visit. He was editing his presentation slides on the way, and a throbbing headache was building up, preventing his focus on the slides by the minute. This was an important client, and Tarang soon started worrying about how the presentation would go.
Have you also been through such a morning frenzy lately? A typical day which begins with scores of tasks to be done, with very little time to do them. A day when, before you know it, it’s lunch time, and soon the day ends with another score of tasks left to be done. As you battle with the idea of taking some work home, you get hit by the evening traffic, fatigue and stress. Barely reaching home in one piece, you decide to login post dinner and catch up on the news on TV, just to realise that you do not have an ounce of energy left to think straight or to switch the lap-top on. Well, welcome to the fast lane! This is the lane where your life zooms past you at high speed, leaving you dazed, tired and stressed out. Mind you, you will have an amazing sense of accomplishment too, and an excitement of having done a million things. However, your body will tell you a different story, and the year-end targets will mock you in the face, as if asking you, ‘Is that all you could achieve?’
More and more professionals today are sweating it out to make it big in the corporate jungle and achieve all that they want, in the shortest time possible. This is obviously putting them under tremendous pressure to accomplish more by giving their best and stretching beyond limits. Whether it is Priya, a young mom trying to make a career in marketing, or Tarang, a software professional aspiring to move out of the country, a huge mass of the world’s population is living their life in the fast lane. What is prompting people to do so, what is the payoff , and how are people coping with it? Let us look at some of these aspects.
You have just landed a dream job. What happens next? You give it your all and strive to conquer the sun, moon and the stars! For most of us today, getting a desired position in the organisation we want to work with, is a start of a roller coaster ride. It entails setting steep goals to prove your capabilities and establishing your credibility so that newer avenues open up, giving you further opportunities. What is different about this situation in today’s time than let’s say, 15-20 years ago, is that the expectations arising out of the business environment and the daily stressor are high.
Managing people, time and logistics have their own unique challenges due to business complexities and globalisation.
Younger generations are looking for quicker ways to achieve success and are willing to walk the extra mile to do so.
The result of this is - adapting a hectic, modern lifestyle which makes heavy demands on time. Young mothers like Priya who want to get back into their mainstream careers after a hiatus, juggle numerous household responsibilities too. In order to have it all, an attitude of ‘doing what it takes’ gets developed. Some outcomes seen are, long-distance relationships, delaying of marriage/kids, neglecting friendships. While ambition is a must-have for success, it is leading to more complications in life, and creating greater stress.
Say yes to things doable and necessary, and no to those not important. This includes people – friends and family members who drain you out or sometimes managers who are difficult to manage. Nutritious food, ample sleep and an exercise routine are non-negotiable in the stressful environment today. They ensure that stress is alleviated and personal resourcefulness is maintained. A skewed graph that bends more towards career goals, is imbalanced and harmful. Seeking varied interests in different fields and focusing on social goals helps to balance your life goals chart
Tarang is on an upward streak in his job and is unaware of the growing pressure on his heart. A recent discomforting experience in the chest area had his friends worried about him, but he paid no heed to their requests to visit a doctor for a thorough check-up. There was no time! Incorporating a healthy lifestyle that ensures body-mind balance requires an effort and time investment that not all can make. Giving well-being and skill development a priority is a wise choice made by few. Learning skills related to planning, communication and team-leadership has become crucial in self-management as well as managing others.
The above aspects of life in the fast lane today prove that success has become elusive and subjective. Those who are making choices to give up on some achievements, are likely making compromises in some other areas of life. What, then, is the solution to living life in the fast lane? One answer that takes into account the above mentioned and other challenges, is balance. This can be achieved in more ways than one, and can include almost all of the below mentioned approaches:
The above list might look like a straight forward and logical one. The difference between knowing what to do and doing it, is the key to happiness. You are the creator of your destiny – provided ‘you’ are present there fully. Live life in the fast lane, by managing yourself well and enjoying the experience! Take care.
BY PREETI PARANJPE
