The Pursuit of a Work-Life Balance

While driving from one meeting to the next I heard a report that stated a whopping 70 percent of employees polled by Right Management in November and December said they did not take all the vacation due them in 2012 because they could not break away from their duties at work.

This information really made me think about my own job and my own work-life balance and I am sure that many of you have the same thoughts. How do we achieve that work-life balance that we hear about but we definitely don't always have? In today's busy world, prioritizing between your work and your personal life can be a huge challenge. But studies show that a poor work-life balance can result in unhealthy levels of stress, unhappiness and even reduced productivity.

Below are some tips outlined in an article on Salary.com by Dawn Dugan to help achieve that ever sought after work-life balance:

Set your priorities
Figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be. Ask yourself, "If I could only focus on one thing in my life, what would it be?"

Track your time
For one week, track how you spend your time. How much time do you spend doing things that don't matter to you? Or that don't align with your priorities? Eliminate these things from your life or delegate them.

Concentrate on one thing at a time
Forget multi-tasking. It's not possible to focus on two things at the same time. Instead, devote your full attention to the task at hand.

Schedule one thing you look forward to each day
Book some time to play tennis with a friend, go to an art museum or have a massage.

Respect your private time
An emergency would most likely have to come up before you'd reschedule an important work meeting. Give your own time the same respect.

Take a look at your personal habits and general lifestyle
Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and bad exercise habits can cause you to feel a lack of balance in your life, and can counteract any efforts you are making to achieve work-life balance.

Ask for support
Tell your boss, family, friends, colleagues and anyone else involved in your life that you are seeking a better work-life balance.

Set boundaries
Today's technology can make the line between your work life and personal life quite blurry.
Turn off your cell phone and laptop when you're at your child's soccer game and ask friends and family not to interrupt your workday unless it's an emergency.

Find a mentor
Do you know someone who has it all -- a successful career and a terrific personal life?
Ask him or her to give you advice on career development, setting priorities and time management.

Learn how to say "no"
Don't acquiesce to every request that comes your way. If it doesn't fit into your schedule or align with your priorities, don't overwhelm yourself by taking on more.

Evaluate your work-life balance on a regular basis
Achieving work-life balance is a never-ending journey, and your needs will be different at different times in your life.

Set aside some time once every other month or so to reflect on your current balance, what you would like it to be and what the plan is for arriving there.

I hope these steps help restore your own work-life balance -- so you can enjoy both fully!