Balancing Work with Life.

Life on the run is a reality in today’s times. We are all rushed and have many responsibilities, all of them equally important. The pressures of modern life are such that it is necessary to segregate personal life from work life so as to ensure that one gets to have at least some personal moments. Whenever we fail to strike the crucial work-life balance and our life overly leans either towards work or personal life, we start feeling helplessly uneasy, which might give rise to acute dissatisfaction in the long run.
We do appreciate those who are dedicated to their work and are very productive at work, but being productive is not the single most significant end of human life. Balancing work life with personal life is crucial, for without that one cannot be truly happy or even consistently productive. Modern work culture is deeply concerned with finding a fine balance between work and life.
However, since no two lives  and no two people are the same, there cannot be a single solution for all. There are those who are single and those who are married or have families to take care of. Responsibilities differ from individual to individual, and even those of the same individual in different stages of life. Yet, it is possible to lay down broad guidelines that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate the needs and priorities of individual lives.
When it comes to work-life balance we generally mean our profession versus all other aspects of life. Therefore, it is crucial to first analyse and prioritize the core areas of our responsibility. There can be many responsibilities that can only be shouldered by the individual himself or herself and nobody else can step in for him or her. Then there are some urgent ones, and when those responsibilities come to the fore, everything else has to take the backseat for the time being.
For responsibilities other than those that are urgent, one can prioritize, including those responsibilities that cannot be delegated. However, some peripheral responsibilities may become more or less important with time. It is important to look at one’s long term career goals in order to make decisions regarding these. So, if doing those small things can have long-term consequences for your career, it’s better to slide them up on your priority list.
Once long-term career goals are visualized with clarity, many benefits accrue from it, apart from freeing one’s time that can be spend doing other important things. This clarity of thought makes saying ‘no’ a lot easier. Defining long term career goals makes it possible for us to be comfortable with saying ‘no’ to the things we do not want to waste our time doing. It allows us take such calls with conviction thereby removing all possibilities of subsequent regret. Efficiency at work place goes a long way in achieving balance in life. Discipline is crucial in achieving this. Constantly upgrading one’s skill-sets to accomplish tasks in a fast, efficient manner also aids career advancement.
All this frees a lot of time for our personal lives. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that no two days are the same. Sometimes work takes priority and at other times the home front. One must be flexible enough to accommodate such turn of events.
All those broad strokes can and should be applied to our personal lives. By having a clear idea of our priorities in our personal lives, sieving out what is unimportant becomes much easier. Over and above, Balance is the catchword, which results in efficiency. The more time we set free for ourselves while taking care of our responsibilities, the more fulfilling our lives become.