Top 10 work-life revelations of 2008

December 27, 12:42 AMWork Life ExaminerJudy Martin

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In our 24/7 high-tech global marketplace, our work life scenario changes exponentially. 2008 is chuck full of illustrations mirroring that fact, the least of which was the election of our first African American president. President-elect Barack Obama ran on a platform of change and a promise to create or save, an estimated 3 million jobs - and he used social media tools to nail the top spot.

With those news nuggets on the table here are Judy Martin's Top Ten Work Life Revelations of 2008:

1. Work Life issues are upfront for the Obama administration. If the president-elect can balance national security work with a vacation on a Hawaiian beach, he might be able to teach us a thing or two about work life balance. (Check out, Obama's Hawaiian work life strategy.) He's taking the elusive quest for work life balance to a new level of consciousness with his formation of The White House Task Force on Working Families.
2. Phased Retirement: Florida will have to wait. Recession, pummeled 401K's, the stock market dive due to the poor performance of the financials, soaring unemployment and Bernard Madoff means less cash in the coffers. Instead of just retiring, they're doing it little by little. I hear a lot of New Yorkers are delaying their relocation to Boca Raton, Florida. Check out my story on Phased Retirementon NPR.
3. Boomers reinventing themselves in encore careers. Right livelihood is more about passion and purpose than it is making cash. But in our current economic slump if you have to work- you may as well do what you love. Check out Civic Ventures, Encore Career Movement and its Purpose Prize winners for 2008. For a quick overview, head to NPR for my story Boomers Find a Way to Make Social Impact, Money.
4. The Four-Day Workweek and the Four-Hour Workweek pick up steam. Tim Ferriss' book, The Four-Hour Workweek, sparked a trend toward working smarter - not longer. Then suddenly the idea of a Four-Day workweek gained some legs when gas prices went crazy high - causing some companies and even some local governments to try a 4-day workweek. For most of us - we're still working an extreme schedule of 50-plus hours a week. Check out this article in Businessweek.
5. Work Life Flexibilityhas replaced Work Life Balance. If you do a survey of most corporate employees or career trackers, most will tell you there's no such thing as work life balance. But someone needs to tell all the corporate folk who offer progressive "Work Life Balance Initiatives" to their employees. Might be semantics, but if they're offering work life balance to workers - are there any openings? Check out my NPR story, Embracing Flex Time, Takes Work.
6. The Slow Movement is picking up speed. Taking a chill started catching on for busy entrepreneurs with a little meditation and exercise in between meetings and conference calls on the tread mill. The quandry - so many are stressing due to the economy and record unemployment - that most are scared to slow down. Personal Coach and author David Bohl was way ahead of the gang on this one, check out his blog at SlowDownFast.com. And look toward Leo Babauta's new book, The Power of Less. Do I smell a trend or pipe dream? 
7. Portable and diverse skills might save your career. Take a class, buy a DVD, learn something new. You might need it for the next job interview. Check out humorist and career expert Tom Stern's article, The Skills Portability Factor.
8. Blogging might be the end of you. You might remember the slew of articles which indicated that blogging can kill you, if you don't monitor your sensory overload levels. You can read more about it in my WorkLifeMonitor blog story, 24/7 Stress, It's not just a blogger's world.
9. There are a bazillion opinions on how to navigate Black Berry Overload. Lots to read in this article, Black Berry After hours, Flexibility or Overwork.
10. Downsizing and layoffs are creating an overflow of qualified candidates. Companies can be picky, not so good for those who are fighting for a select amount of positions. It's one case where supply and demand actually favor the companies. Career Diva and MS-NBC columnist,  Eve Tahmincioglu writes about this in her article, Bad Economy = Better Job Applicants. Also check out her article, Women with Kids need not Apply on a political blunder of a statement which screams for some PC training and mouthwash.