Do you feel burdened with too many responsibilities and not enough time for personal enjoyment? Is so, then you are not alone. According to Schor, the author of The Overworked American, hours worked have risen 20% and leisure hours have declined 37% since 1970. With two-career families and single-parent households on the rise, it’s no wonder we feel overloaded, overextended, and even overwhelmed. The key to avoiding this is to create balance in our lives.

What is Balance?

Balance is managing our various roles, activities and responsibilities in a way the results in harmony between our personal and professional lives. This requires that we take care of ourselves. We all need some private time – time to do something for ourselves that renews and refreshes us. For some, this may be golfing or gardening. For others, it may be painting or reading. Those who take leisure time are more effective in their various roles in life. They are less stressed and experience greater peace and harmony.

How to Achieve Balance

You can’t do it all! The notion that you can do it all is a fallacy. Therefore, you need to focus on the most important things. Achieving balance and harmony involves a three-step process:

1. Determine what’s most important
First determine what is most important to you. Take some time to think about your priorities. What are the most important things in life? Make a list. Think of “things” in a broad sense. They could be tangible things such as a nice house, or intangible, such as a happy family.