p= achieve success when they have the flexibility to meet the demands of their professional lives and accomplish personal goals outside their offices. ‘When you focus too much on one at ‘the expense of the other then you risk putting your entire system in distress. For an employee, balancing a challenging career with life outside workisa complex task. Remember that work life and personallife are the two sides of the same coin. To maintain a reasonable balance between both, here are few points, pondering upon which will help you to strike a balance: 1. Be honest: Explain honestly to yourself about how much time you spend at work and why. Check whether you are staying 3 late to accomplish your tasks or to impress your boss, or simply because you are not managing your time well during the day? Set your Priorities: Work-life balance cannot be achieved without effective priority setting. Many people spend long hours at work without knowing the effective time they spend actually wasking. Set your priorities and arrange your time at the office according to that. Find a friend at work: Stop burdening your partner with work-related issues; find a colleague for an informal discussion. Discussing your office-related issues with your friend or colleague will act as a great safety valve for you. Draw a line between home and office: Information technology has reduced the boundary between work and home. Thi$ means after spending the whole day at work you can remain connected to office at home also. This brings the work related stress home. Its better to leave work at workplace. Make a conscious effort to separate ‘worktime from personal time, 5. Remember that you are much ‘more than your jol a mistake to ‘relate yourself too closely to your work. Analyse what you want to achieve in life and define what you think of personal success. This should help you jon't commit during the time when work gets difficult and the pressure becomes unbearable. 6. Enjoy Life: Enjoying small things on a daily basis such as—growing flowers in your garden, having a long walk with your pet, relishing. the morning tea, reading a book to your child, taking out some time for yourself with your eyes closed—will help you remain relaxed at home ‘and ready for the challenges of work. Life tends to get pretty complex, especially for people trying to balance s0 many demands. Live simply, expect less and give more. No need to feel awful about not being perfect. There's no balance without give and take. So be flexible when you can, and avoid guilt if you don't match up to the expectations Always keep in mind that the best work life balance is different for each of us because we all have different friorities and differentlives.‘farmer owned an old mule. One day, the mule fellinto a well, He brayed loudly and caught the attention ofthe farmer. Upon assessing the situation the farmerruled outany possibilty of a rescue as it was too difficult toliftthe mule out ofthe well. Out of sympathy for the animal, he decided to haul dit into the wellto put the mule out ofhismisery. ‘The old mule was hysterical upon learning that his life would ‘thus end. However, asthe farmer shoveled the dirt into the wel, thought struck the old mule. He realized that fhe could shake off the dirt that landed on his back every time, the dirt |would hit the floor and he could step on the dirt. Shovel after shovel, he continued relentlessly to shake off the dirt and step fon top of it. He fought the.sense of panic and distress and just went on shaking off the dirt and climbing higher up the wel. With much determination and perseverance, the old mule eventually stepped out the well, battered and exhausted, but, ‘otherwise triumphant that he had survived the ordeal. The ‘way in which it handled the situation of adversity, the act of burying him, infact, saved his life. MORAL: There is a solution to every problem. Never give up. Adversity creates opportunit) CREATE Satisfaction ~ WORK wor We playsa significant role in our lives. In our quest tobe happy and productive, having a strong sense of job satisfaction is important. Dissatisfaction with your, job tends to have an influence on your overall outlook on life. We can never have a completely smooth career. Satisfaction lies in your attitude and expectations; it's ‘more about how you'approach your job than the actual duties you perform. Depending on the underlying cause ‘of your lack of job satisfaction, you can have several ‘options for increasing your job satisfaction: ‘New challenges: We all thrive on interesting challenges. Even if the job itself is not all that challenging, you can make it challenging. Set performance standards for yourself. Working on something you care about can boost your confidence and job satisfaction. ‘Mentoring: Nothing is more challenging or rewarding than passing your skills and knowledge on to others. Teaching a new team member or anintern can restore the challengeand the job satisfaction youdesire. Break the monotony: When your mind is bored you lack interest and enthusiasm and even a well-matched job becomes dissatisfying. If you're feeling bored or unchallenged, talk with your boss about cross-training or ask to be moved to a new assignment or department requiring the same skills Remain positive: If you are depressed, angry or frustrated, you're less likely to be satisfied with anything, Become an optimist and don't dwell on setbacks. Use positive thinking to reframe your thoughts about your job Remember, everyone encounters good days and bad days atworkplace, Learn from mistakes: Don't let failure defeat you. When you make.a mistake at work, learn from it and try again. Perhaps, the mistake will eventually lead to a great success. Be grateful: Gratitude can help you focus on what's positive about your job. Find at least one thing you're grateful for and appreciate it even if it is good working. environment or anice cornerin the office for you. Nurture your passion: If your current job allows you to focus your energy on an important hobby or interest outside of work, then seeking a new job isn't a good option. Sometimes work is simply a means to enjoy those things you're truly passionate about. Be creative and make one small change at work today that, makes you feel different and create a satisfying environment for yourself. Doing so can help you manage your stress and experience the rewards of your profession. = :