3 Ways to Balance Career and Family

1. Determine Your Priorities

Balancing your professional and personal life involves first determining what is most important to you. Write down the 10 most important areas of your life, such as friends, career, family, personal growth, spiritual life, hobbies and relationships with co-workers. Go back through the list and put the 10 areas in order from 1 to 10, with the first area being the most important.

Ask for input from your immediate family. For example, if you have children who participate in after-school sports you often miss, ask them to choose a few dates they would like you to set aside to come watch them play. Ask your boss about the possibility of taking a couple of hours off on those set-aside game days. You might be able to use some of your vacation time on these days, or your boss may be willing to let you come in early to make up for the lost time in the afternoon. Either way, this will alleviate some of your stress at being unable to attend every event, and will let your family see you are doing everything you can to balance your personal and professional lives successfully. You may also find yourself looking for a new job that allows you live out the priorities you have established if your current position isn't flexible.

2. Make Hard Decisions Early

As you bring balance to your family and career, it is important to make some of the hard decisions as early as possible in a stress-free environment. Determine how many and what kind of hours you are willing to work to meet your career objectives while maintaining your priorities. Decide if you will work late at the office or bring work home. Make decisions regarding the amount of out-of-town travel the family will allow you to do, future relocation possibilities and other possible career choices you anticipate during the next 5 years.

3. Schedule Your Time

Plan your schedule based on your priorities. At your job, you may have a list of events on the calendar for the coming months and years. Add events with family and friends to the calendar to fill your time with what is important to you. By writing down birthdays, dates with your spouse, family nights and outings with friends, you can see how balanced your life is. Treat scheduled family events with the same respect given to career events. If someone wants your time but it is taken up by an event, simply let the person know you are "booked" at that time, and look for an alternate meeting time.