Great Ways to Balance Family Life and Your Career

Bring Your Employer Home

Not literally, unless you want to. Gaining the support of your employing organization will do wonders for finding balance. Great employers have built in benefits and flexible hours for parents. Open the lines of communication with your superiors and let them know about work issues that will supersede family time and family issues that will supersede work time. Share your goal of maintaining balance between life at home and at work. Most bosses are working to achieve the same balance and they will understand.

Know Your Limits

Be realistic…you cannot excel at absolutely everything at all times. Some things are only going to get 70-90% of your attention. Make a ‘to do’ list and determine your priorities. At 6:00 p.m., are your new clients or your kids going to get 100% of your attention? Do you really need to fold your underwear before putting it in the drawer? Who is important enough to wake you up at midnight? Keep reminding yourself that you are not everything to everyone. Give yourself permission to say “No”.