In her article Wrapped in a Cloud of Chaos, Joanna Allhands of the Arizona Republic newspaper (March 26, 27, & 28, 2017 issues) cites these major considerations to balancing your job life with your home life.  These are action steps to get you off the hamster wheel.

> Realize what work-life balance is not.  A balance of work and life is not simply allocating an equal amount of time to each.  And a work-life balance is not simply a matter of being more effective and efficient with your time.

> Understand what work-life balance is.  A successful work-life balance is personal.  It’s how you feel about it.  If you feel rested and content, your balance is probably working.  If, however, you feel tired and pulled in several directions, you need to realign your balance.

> Change your expectations.  According to a 2014 Gallup survey, full-time employees work an average of 47 hours a week.  This has remained constant for the past 15 years.  Nearly 1 in 5 Americans work more than 60 hours per week.  

> Accept trade-offs.  Sorry, but you cannot have it all.  You have to make choices.

> Factor in time margins.  Everyone needs some unscheduled time to do whatever life is demanding at the moment.  If you don’t have a time margin, you have no choice, and lack of choice is a physical and emotional drain.

> Say NO to some things.  

> Prioritize often.  What’s the highest and best use of your next hour?  Your next day?  Your next ...?  Set and re-set your priorities often.

The online training plan for Climbing the Career Ladder has been updated with this information.