My career is (has) consuming my life

[slipperandpjsmum]

I have worked very hard in my career and made alot of sacrifices along the way; time with my children, loss of friends, no social life. Whenever I feel like I have reached where I want to be I spot another goal and I am off again - striving. My dh has been there all along supporting me.

We had a talk last night and he was very reasonable in what he was saying eg we never go out and he feels invisible.

I love my career but I am not sure if its worth what its costing me.

I feel so guilty about my children, although I work from home as often as I can to ensure they still recognise me when I walk into the house. My lack of input into my relationship with my dh and I miss having friends.

Does anyone else live like this? Am I just missing the point?

You work to live, not live to work.

No aspect of your life should be all-consuming; if you lose it, you won't have anything left.

Don't give up your career, but don't keep chasing more and more goals.

Try to get more of a balance back.

Sorry I probably used too many clichés; but I personally believe in them all.

Me.

I have just been made redundant and going from 70 hours a week workaholic with big responsibility to nothing from April.

Scary. Not sure if it's me- always worked- don't need to financially.

This is a hard one! If you were a man, no-one would turn a hair about this. They would applaud your attempts to work from home more often. What does your dh do? Does HE spend more time with the dcs?

I have always worked FT. I don't believe that you can have it all though. That element of the feminist argument is bollocks imho. If you are lucky you can build a decent balance in your life.

I have always worked full time. You cannot have it all - my main priorities are DD, DP and my career, everything else comes way after, including all other family. I have very little social life away from DP and/or DD - I simply do not want to spare the time.

It is all very good as long as you enjoy it - the minute it gets too much you do need to review it. I have recently had a bit of a change - worked my arse up in ruthless envrionemnets, I have just got a very geeky job in the public sector. A lot more money initially, but the salary will not increase as much as a private sector job would in the same time frame, and it is a dfferent (some may say lesser) career path. But frankly I was sick of conference calls at midnight, 50 hour weeks as a bare, slack minimum and 3 week business trips several times a year.

I would nver in a month of Sundays give up working full time, but I needed to make a change. DD is doing her GCSEs - she needs me around more than she did a couple of years ago.

I have just given up my very cushy 10 hours a week job because I don't particularly enjoy it.

Be true to yourself and listen to your heart.