Balancing act. striving for harmony between work and family

To live with my loved ones, I work every day, hoping that the results of my labor will create a foundation of happiness for my family. Despite this, I often feel that my earnings alone are not enough to make my family, especially my wife, truly happy. Now that I’m older and have become an executive, my workload has only increased. I spend over 12 hours a day working, plus an additional 2 hours commuting, totaling more than 14 hours away from home. This has become my daily routine.

As a result, it’s extremely difficult for my wife, who is in her mid-40s, to raise our two young daughters, aged 6 and 3, by herself. She often gets exhausted and frustrated by their demands. Today was no exception. She greeted me with a tired and irritated face and snapped at me as soon as I walked in. I feel sorry for her. I can only imagine how tough it must be for her, but there’s nothing immediate I can do to help, which makes me feel even more guilty. So, I listened to her, thanked her, and apologized.

In Korea, achieving a work-life balance becomes harder as one climbs the corporate ladder. When I was younger, the company culture didn’t emphasize this, so I spent countless hours at work. Now, as I am accountable for the company’s performance, maintaining a work-life balance is still challenging. I worry that being tied up with work might mean I’m neglecting my family. I especially feel sorry for my children who might miss their father’s presence, and for my wife, who is shouldering the burden of childcare alone.

I’ve decided to leave work on time tomorrow, no matter what. Additionally, I need to develop a process at my organization that allows me to leave on time regularly. Perhaps working a bit in the evening would be more manageable since the kids go to bed by 9 PM. If my wife understands, I could start wrapping up my work from 8:40 PM. It might be ambitious to want to excel at both work and family life, but I no longer want to put my family second to my job.

I hope that sharing my wife’s struggles and exhaustion will make things a bit easier for her and that together, we can find more happiness in our lives.