As a rule, I do not multi task.  I do one thing and I do it well.  I do it until it’s done, and then I move on to the next thing.

This works great for me.  I get into The Flow on a regular basis and I’m able to stay focused on what’s right in front of me, no matter how long my to do list is.  I’m productive and efficient when I’m doing one thing at a time.

Unfortunately, doing one thing at a time doesn’t seem to be an option at the moment, and I’m struggling to figure out how to avoid getting overwhelmed from moment to moment.

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My spouse called me from his office on Monday to tell me to arrange for a sitter (aka Grandpa) to watch our son on Thursday night.  He was just invited to a wine tasting event where some of his company’s executives would be attending.  I could tell that he was excited at the opportunity and anxious that his individual contributor title would interfere in networking with Senior Directors and Vice Presidents.  While one of my strengths is being able to work a room and make lots of small talk, my spouse is more likely to find one person and hold ‘em hostage for all night talking about the same topic.  I made the arrangements, put on a new dress, and was prepared to play the role of the supportive wife.

Last night, we showed up at a local hotel to mingle with influential people in his company.  Imagine our surprise when we walked into a charity event with a live auction, silent auction, and goal of raising more than ten thousand dollars for the cause. I turned to my spouse and whispered “Awkward.”

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I’ve spent most of my work life in commission based jobs.  A raise meant selling more stuff than before and, therefore, earning more commission.  How much money I made has always been directly tied to how well I did my job in a measurable, tangible way.

I’m goal oriented and a hell of a salesperson, so this model has always suited me well.  It has not, however, prepared me for the world of salary negotiations and discussions about raises.

In my current job, I earn a base salary combined with a commission bonus.  It’s the first time in my life I’ve had a guaranteed income.  It’s also the first time anyone has offered me a raise.

Last week, I turned down a raise.

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I spend at least 8 hours a day sitting in front of my laptop.  Both my full time job and all of my side jobs are conducted on my handy dandy Dell Inspiron notebook.

The good news is, I can conduct a good portion of my business sitting in front of the TV, or on my back patio.  (Truth be told, I work almost exclusively on a patio because I like to be able to smoke when I write.)

The bad news (aside from the fact that I still smoke, I know) is that all of this computer time is killing my back.

I have decent posture when I’m standing and walking.  I probably couldn’t balance a book on my head, but I have never been much of a sloucher.  And yet, when I sit down in front of a laptop, I immediately hunch over the keyboard.

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If I’m having problems at home, it is almost always reflected in my work.

I have a hard time concentrating.  I don’t have the ambition to do more than the bare minimum.  My productivity and effectiveness take a serious hit.

Ideally, I would have a universal remote for life that allowed me to hit pause on my work life whenever personal issues needed to be dealt with, and vice versa.  Unfortunately, Wal-Mart seems to be all out of Life Remotes.

In the absence of a magical pause button, what’s the best way to keep your personal life from negatively impacting your work life?

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Not all of us are working at our dream jobs.

That’s life.

But, there’s a difference between having to balance your passions with your day job and absolutely hating your job.  Hating your job is bad.  Spending 40 or more hours a week in a place that you hate sucks.  And it’s bad for the soul.

It also has the potential to seep into your home life, your personal life, and every aspect of who you are - if you let it go too far.

What are your options if you hate your job?

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Confession: I love business travel.  Now, I’m lucky that my need to travel for business is more rare (once or twice a quarter) and that nowadays it only requires a three hour drive.  But even when I traveled to lame places or had three hour layovers, I loved it.  And I didn’t feel guilty about it at all.

When I am traveling on company business, I’m not a mommy.  I am Robyn.  I am a highly-respected colleague.  I am a contributor to a team.  I am a problem-solver, a solution provider, and a subject matter expert. I feel like I’m Super-Woman instead of Super-Mom.  

The “Mom” in me is put on the shelf for a few days.  I don’t have to juggle. I don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. I don’t have to wipe any butts.  Business travel is a luxurious break from my day-to-day reality.

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In this week’s issue of Time magazine, the cover story details The Future of Work.  Specifically, the article takes a look at how the workforce will be (and has been) changing.  Not surprisingly, the article highlights the disappearance of employer paid benefits.

It’s not news to anyone who has worked - or looked for work - in the last 5 years that company sponsored health care is a rare gem in the job market.  Most employees these days are thrilled to have the opportunity to pay a portion of their health insurance premiums out of each paycheck.  An employer who invests any matching funds into a 401K is often thought to be going above and beyond the norm.  And a pension?  What is that? As a 29 year old worker, I have never worked for a company that offered a pension.

Insurance and retirement benefits used to be the perks that differentiated one job offer from another.  With those extra benefits being taken off the table, what are the perks that we’re working for now?

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Gruff, unreasonable, and known to once make a co-worker cry, my spouse has been trying to make changes in his demeanor.  He knows the way he acts could possibly get in the way of future advancement. In the past year, he’s become a very different guy.  He’s made friends with co-workers (we’ve even invited a few over for dinner), goes to a monthly poker night, and has softened his tough-guy image. 

Except in one arena: he hates going out to lunch with his co-workers.  His team goes out to lunch as one big group about every two weeks.  They pick a fancier restaurant than my spouse is comfortable with and tend to rack up a big bill that often includes alcohol.  At the end of the meal, each person is expected to split the bill equally regardless of whether they ordered only a small plate or had three martinis plus an appetizer. 

My penny-pinching partner is practically having bleeding ulcers over paying 30 bucks for a lunch that he didn’t really enjoy. 

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I’m planning our summer vacation.  It’s nothing fancy – a trip to the South to see my Grandmother.  One week of hanging out in extreme humidity, eating her home-grown tomatoes, and drinking glass after glass of sweet tea.  To say I’m looking forward to it is an understatement.

Only one problem: my spouse can’t get the time off.  It’s not month-end close or end of year craziness.  It’s not that he doesn’t have the time off.  It’s because at his company people just don’t take vacation.  Like ever. At his company, it’s acceptable to take a day here or a long weekend there.  But an entire week off?  Practically unheard of.

My spouse isn’t alone.  In a study by Orbitz, the online travel company, one-third of respondents said they took five or fewer days of vacation in the past year. One in four said they felt their bosses did not encourage them to take vacations, and one in three said they stayed connected with their office via phone or computer while on holiday.

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