The best work-life balance is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives. However, at the heart of an effective work-life balance definition are two key everyday concepts that are relevant to each of us. That is daily achievement and enjoyment.

So Why do you want a better income………a big smart house in Runda…the kids through Makini school…to do a good job today or not to come to work at all? Most of us already have a good grasp on the meaning of Achievement. But let’s be realistic and explore the concept of enjoyment a little more.

Enjoyment does not just mean “Ha-Ha” happiness like going out for Nyama-Choma and Tusker every Friday and Saturday afternoon, neither does it mean having a family outing every other weekend, in fact, these are more of formalities that we Kenyans define as enjoyment.

Real enjoyment means pride, satisfaction, happiness, celebration, love, a sense of well being, generally all the joys of living. Achievement and Enjoyment are the front and back of the coin of value in life. You can’t have one without the other, not more than you can have a coin with only one side. The same family that breaks apart when one partner becomes too busy in search of achievement is the same family that thickens the bond when there is money to spend on literally all the good things life can offer.

Trying to live a one sided life is why so many “Successful” people are not happy, or not nearly as happy as they should be. Ideally speaking, you cannot get the full value from life without BOTH Achievement and Enjoyment.

Focusing on Achievement and Enjoyment every day in life helps you avoid the “As Soon As Trap”, the life dulling habit of planning on getting around to the joys of life and accomplishment “as soon as….” Will always apply but a simple evaluation of your life and work followed by applying specific strategies to help you strike a healthier balance will help you determine what you want in life.

Why not take 20 minutes on the way home from work and do something just for yourself? And when you get home, before you walk in the door, think about whether you want to focus on achieving or enjoying with those at home tonight or you want to sit back and defend your limited commitment then act accordingly.

At work, create your own best work-life balance by making sure you not only achieve, but also reflect the joy of the job, and the joy of life, every day. If nobody pats you on the back today, pat yourself on the back. And help others to do the same

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Happy new year Kenyans and welcome to another brand new year and hopefully you will meet your career expectations in 2011. Here at Career Point we will continue to avail the latest jobs and in addition keep you notified on new career trends.

Back to business now, lets talk about January and this craze that we Kenyans have of finding a new job in January.

I love the beginning of a new year, it is a great chance to refocus and either re-evaluate goals you are working to or even set new ones. I don’t have any statistics to measure this but I am sure that one of the more popular new year’s resolutions in the general Kenyan workforce is to either get a new job or work to further develop one’s career. I think this is a good idea, in today’s competitive Kenyan corporate world people should have a plan of what they want to do, what role they are after and how to get there.

One common mistake I think many Kenyan job seekers make though is that a career plan shouldn’t be a once a year thought.

When people finish with the holiday season with their new year’s resolution to find a new job fresh in their mind, you can see the enthusiasm and motivation a person has to make something happen. Emails are sent, calls are made, job applications are made, networking is happening, etc….. Finding the right job that you are after however can be difficult, while it would be great if that dream job was available just at the time you happened to be looking for it – in reality this is not always the case.

Job Seekers need to keep reminding themselves that while sometimes that dream job they are after is available at the same time they are looking, that also a Job search can be a difficult and long process. Many people who set out with the best of intentions in January to find a new job can soon lose interest in a job search if they do not immediately find a job. Just like the Christmas decorations are put away and the photos from New Year’s are stored away – a Job Seeker’s motivation may slowly decrease until that person finds themselves 12 months later in the same situation in same role and looking for that new opportunity again.

Rather than just “going for it” and looking for a job in the month of January, a person’s job search or career plan should be an ongoing activity and thought process that is constantly updated and evaluated over the course of the year.

It can be hard to stay motivated over an extended period of time, especially when you are newly motivated and ready for that new job and the results are not immediate. Rather than letting your job search fall down the priority list and into the “too hard basket” a few ideas that may keep your enthusiasm fresh

1. Update your CV every 6 months, even if you are not looking for a job – it is easy to forget what you have accomplished if you don’t keep your details updated. Also it is good to be prepared and have a CV ready to go in case you do get an unexpected phone call for that ‘dream job’ you have been hoping for.

2. Work out what you want out of your next job before you begin your job search – rather than aimlessly searching job adverts or talking to people – think of the organizations or type of jobs you would like before you search. If you know what you are looking for it will be much easier to work out how to get there than if you do not know what you want. This idea of just sending applications aimlessly doesn’t work.

3. Don’t expect immediate results once you decide to look for another job, things don’t always fall into place. Timing and delivery can be important pieces of being selected for a role, companies don’t hire every role in January.

4. Have an open mind - people you meet or talk to may not result in immediate results for your job search but every connection may help you get a bit closer to what you are after. Patience my friend will pay in the long term.

These actions will not guarantee a positive result, but in today’s competitive Kenyan job market every little of extra preparation and planning helps.

All the best for 2011 and I hope your career plan whatever it may be is a success.

And talking of plans, what are your career plans for 2011?

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