Balancing Your Career And Personal Life

You might call it the foremost question of the 21^st century: How can a person effectively balance career and personal life? Surveys indicate that employees are working more hours than ever before, meaning that their careers are far more demanding than their father's and mother's were. Yet, no one can work 24 hours a day. It is important to maintain some semblance of a personal life, whether or not you're married and have children.

There are several keys to striking an appropriate balance between the professional and the personal:

Map out your goals

Divide a piece of paper in half and list your career goals on one side and your personal goals on the other. This forces you to evaluate what is important in both segments of your life. Next, prioritize your goals by ranking them in terms of most important and least important. Simply committing a list of goals to paper can help you to think about your career and your personal life in a more organized fashion.

Develop a workable schedule

Once you know what your goals are, it is important for you to establish a plan for fulfilling them. An important component of that plan will be developing a workable schedule. For instance, chances are you won't bother to exercise unless you've actually allotted time for a fitness session. Be careful to include both work commitments and personal commitments in your schedule. That way, you can make sure that you are not sacrificing important personal time for your work.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Superman exists only in the comics; Superwoman lives only in our heads. If you feel as if you're drowning in work or are overwhelmed at home, be sure to ask for assistance. Your boss or spouse may not even realize that you are being overburdened unless you make it known. You should not feel as if the fate of your company rests solely in your hands or as if the happiness of your family rests only on your shoulders.

Take time to reassess

Be sure to allocate five minutes a day to evaluating your performance at work and at home. However, try to avoid expecting too much of yourself. This period of reflection is simply an opportunity to determine whether your life is, indeed, in balance. If you feel out of kilter, try to figure out the reason why. Then consult with someone who may be able to help you get back on track, such as a parent, a trusted friend, or a co-worker.

Question someone who does the balancing act well

If you know someone who seems to be particularly effective on the job and in his or her outside pursuits, spend a little time with that individual to find out the secret of his or her success. You might be surprised by what you learn. Your associate might have some tricks you never even thought of. Or it's entirely possible that you might find out that the person whom you admire has just as much trouble balancing work and home as you do. But you never know until you ask.

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