“I have a young family, and for the next few years I should like to devote more time to them.” –from the resignation letter of Sir Norman Fowler to Prime Minister Thatcher, January 1990.Fowler gesture is commendable, albeit the controversy surrounding it. How many of us have attempted that? Or even just thought of the idea of leaving a budding career in exchange for spending more time with our families? Difficult huh.
Thatcher’s reply was: I am naturally very sorry to see you go, but understand your reason fro doing so, particularly your wish to be able to spend more time with your family.
The expression ‘spend more time with his family’ immediately became a euphemism for getting sacked, though there was no official indication that Fowler has been dismissed. (Robert Andrews)
We have always thought that our family is the reason for the hardwork and the long hours we spend at the office. That is partly correct, no argument on that. We also mistakenly assumed that we’ll always have time with our family –later. Actually, that is the contrary. For as we kept on postponing intended time for our families and spent them on our job or other pursuits that we’ll soon realized there no more room left for them. I hope you won’t wait to be sacked from your job in order to spend more time with your family.
So, how do you manage your time between your work and your family?