BALANCE IS THE KEY.... !!

“Happiness Is Not A Matter Of Intensity But Of Balance, Order, Rhythm And Harmony.” ~ Thomas Merton

One of the crucial areas of balance is work-life balance - the balance between a career, with its satisfaction of creativity and financial reward, and family life with its reward of love and service. Today, work is widely viewed as a source of personal satisfaction. A good balance in work and life can play a phenomenal role in the attainment of personal and professional goals.

Ryana Malhotra has a husband, three kids and a public relations business in New Delhi. Her hectic life speaks volumes about what time management means to her. As she puts it: "I'm running all the time." In the 3G fast-paced life, there are many pressures that new-age couples have to deal with - running a home, managing daily chores like cooking/cleaning, raising children and handling the tough deadlines at work! Originally, work was a matter of necessity and survival. Throughout the years, the role of ‘work' has evolved and the composition of the workforce has changed.

Today, work is widely viewed as a source of personal satisfaction. A good balance in work and life can play a phenomenal role in the attainment of personal and professional goals.

There are five principles you can use to get more done in less time and get back to a healthy balance between time spent at work and home:

• Set specific goals: Set them with actions and incremental milestones that you can track. Define your goals in terms that create a vivid mental picture of your desired end-state;
• Focus on what's important: Don't let the urgent, the convenient and the immediate distract you from the important. Stay focused on reaching the milestones that support your goals;
• Be proactive: Create the habit of working intentionally. Minimise your distractions. Make a ‘not to-do' list and adhere to it;
• Set your own standards: Don't mindlessly follow social and cultural norms. Instead, follow your own values. Establish your own principles of operations;
• Delegate: Outsource activities that others can do as well as or better than you. Delegate responsibilities to people that have more bandwidth than you.

The concept of work-life balance is becoming more and more relevant in an ever-dynamic work environment. The role played by the individual is as important as that of the organisation in managing this tumultuous see-saw.

Balance activity with serenity, wealth with simplicity, persistence with innovation, community with solitude, familiarity with adventure, constancy with change, leading with following.

- Jonathan Lockwood Huie.