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In our society today, where there is so much demand for productivity, improved standard of living, living with advanced technologies, social media craziness, latest fashion trends, impressing people that don't care about you, there is that tendency to pursue money and ignore your family.

Of course, only very few are so economically endowed with an inheritance that they don't have to work that much to meet their needs. As a result, it is challenging to know where to draw the line between family and work.

I should raise my caveat here: it is difficult to meet your family needs without economic resources. But in as much as you need money to meet your family needs, it should not be at the expense of the family itself. Creating the balance between the two has been a subject of discussion for decades. That is why you often hear of 'work-life' balance, which I would prefer 'life-work' balance as a term.

In this article, I want to highlight why you should prioritise your family life to work life.

#1. Family is for life, work expires

Your family is you, and you are your family. You arrived in this world to meet your family and when you leave your family will still be there. Although faces and people might change, family is all you've got and that is for life. It doesn’t change!

On the other hand, work expires. You will only work for a limited time. You don't work from the womb but at a particular stage in your life, and there is what is called a retirement age. If your company or government does not restrict you from working by setting a retirement age, I bet your body will tell you that you cannot work again. Know this for a fact. Hence, value that which outlasts the other.

If you make the mistake of neglecting your family by choosing work over family, sooner or later, you will regret this act and wish that you could take back the hands of time. I can only hope it won’t be too late then!

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#2. You are investing in what truly matters

Let me explain before you raise your questions. When you raise a family or invest in your family members' development and character moulding, you invest in life. And life is transcendent. Life is what matters most. Think about this; can you invest in a dead person? No, you can only do that for the living.

At your workplace, skill requirements change. In the last decade, we have seen a big change in the skill needs for most jobs. This means whatever you had spent so long investing your efforts in may soon become obsolete, but this is not the case with building good character in your family, such as respect, love, honesty, etc.

#3. Your gains in a family supersede that of your work

When everything is working well in your family, you will be more productive and peaceful in other aspects of your life, including work. On the other hand, when your family is dysfunctional, it is likely to reflect on different aspects of your life.

Therefore, it is sacrosanct to put much of your energy into where you derive the most benefits. What would you truly gain if your work is going well at the expense of your family life? Is this a call to mediocrity at work? Definitely NO, but we are suggesting that you should focus on what truly counts.

Build your family and don’t let work or career pursuits be the tools to you losing your family. It’s just not worth it. Family is everything!

"Please do not sacrifice your family on the altar of your job; it doesn't worth it. When you get that last paycheck and leave your company, it is your family that will receive you, and you will continue your life with them."

#4. Family is irreplaceable, but at work, you can be fired

Think about this —your membership in a family is simply irreplaceable, and I dare to say your role too. Yes, there may be an alternative, but your position cannot be filled. At work, you are usually known by your post (or position/rank). In the same way that there were other applicants before you were selected, others are waiting on that same position.

Either through firing or retirement, another person is ready to take up your position at any instant. I dare to write that your job position will not hold your company to a ransom. You are not irreplaceable.

Yes, one might say, but I can have a stepfather or mother or sister. But that is a 'step'. Or others may argue that they can disown their children; this does not cancel or change the DNA that your children are carrying. They can still be traced to you if need be.

Family is simply one’s ride or die.

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#5. Family will always accept you

Regarding work, one day, when you retire, you will become a stranger in a place that you used to run the affairs. If it is in some organisations that you need a security pass to get in as a staff, you will suddenly realise that you cannot just get in there at will.

If you doubt this scenario, ask a family member (or someone) that retired from such a place. Whether you are a CEO or CFO of the company, you can be ejected from that position at any time, and even your junior staff will be the one giving directive on how you should pack your things.

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"I should raise my caveat here: it is difficult to meet your family needs without economic resources. But in as much as you need money to meet your family needs, it should not be at the expense of the family itself."

This is not the case with a family; regardless of how the situation is or at any stage of your life, your family will always accept you. There is no retirement, firing, hiring, etc. family is all you have got. Don’t pull it down with your hands!

In conclusion…

Please do not sacrifice your family on the altar of your job; it doesn't worth it. When you get that last paycheck and leave your company, it is your family that will receive you, and you will continue your life with them. Learn life-work balance on time and don't regret it later.

Be encouraged to value your family. If you have any doubt on why you need to value your family, read this article on 'family is everything'. Let's dazzle together as we continue to do our best to make our family great.