I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time."
– Oprah Winfrey

In today's environments employers try to squeeze the maximum productivity out of employees and expect them to work long and hard. There is immense pressure on a person to succeed in his career and it becomes an obsession to the exclusion of everything else, even his personal life. Soon an imbalance is created and this affects his mental and physical health as well as family ties. In his quest for a better life, a man misses out on the best parts of life. How not to fall into this trap? How to maintain a balance between work and life? If you are in such a situation, read on. This might just help a bit.

“We need to maintain a proper balance in our life by allocating the time we have. There are occasions where saying no is the best time management practice there is." - Catherine Pulsifer

Employers expect an employee to do a lot and will be happy if he works all day, throughout the year. The more you do, the less it seems. However, that is not the way to happiness or achievement. It is necessary to allocate time judiciously, to strike a balance between the time you devote to work and the time you keep for yourself and your family. There comes a time when you have to say no to that extra burden and put your foot firmly down. Yet it does not mean you must leave work hanging. You can increase your efficiency and manage work flows to deliver what is expected and beyond and still manage to have time for yourself.

Here are a few ways to get more things done at work within time.
· Put your biological clock to good use. Make use of circadian rhythms to tackle the most challenging and demanding jobs when your energy level is at its peak.
· Take fewer breaks. Once you start, do not stop until finish, except for a tiny break. That way you stay focused, concentrate and get things done faster and save time.

· Segregate job related activities that need less attention for later once the important parts are done.

Avoid personal phone calls and emails while at work. They take up more time than you think and can be distracting. · If you must have meetings, make them brief.

Try not to take work home, answer emails or business calls unless it is very urgent. Switch off work when you are at home. Do not even discuss work with your better half or anyone else. If at all you do get some bright idea, make a note to implement it at work.

Don't ever work weekends unless it is an absolute emergency. Plan to spend quality time with your loved ones. Take your mind off work. Enjoy and relax. Go out. Schedule your personal time and make the best use of it.

“Rest is a weapon….”--Robert Ludlum. Rest is a weapon, given by a friend to the main character
in Robert Ludlum's fictional works.

It applies to all. Rest is necessary. It recharges your batteries and helps you be in good shape to tackle the next day's work. Take a vacation away from home, away from workplaces. Let your mind too recharge.

A well developed sense of humor may add balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. Burnouts are bad, for you and for your employer.

There is more to life than just work, career and success and yet work is necessary for all these. Balance these and you have a formula for happiness and enjoyment of life.

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” ~Thomas Merton

“The key is to not expect more than work can actually provide. While it’s important to enjoy work, you can’t expect it to fulfill every aspect (passion, social, entertainment, etc.)” ~Melissa Mizer Wilhel

“I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.” - Oprah Winfrey