Maintaining a balance in your work and family life is essential.

Not many people would disagree with me on that point. However, it’s the implementation of this idea that is difficult.

It is easy to lose focus when we are out of balance. The Internet marketers that I know work harder than most traditional employees. Many of us work full time jobs outside the home, then begin our internet marketing activities after hours. There is this image of the internet marketing lifestyle: fancy cars, big houses, long vacations, etc. While those benefits certainly can be a reality, the work that goes on behind the scenes is hidden to most of the world.

For those of you who work outside the home, finding a balance is important too. Life-work balance is now considered to be the second most important driver in employee attraction and commitment ahead of compensation. Importantly, people who work for companies that understand this blanace work twenty-one per cent harder.

Many of you are stay-at-home parents with young children. This situation presents unique challenges. Children have needs that are immediate and unwavering. Often I am in the middle of a webinar or conference call and I have to run to attend to a scraped knee, a crying child, or an all-out brawl over the TV remote!

We are tired!

It can be exhausting trying to accomplish everything we need (or want) to do in a 24 hour period.

The preoccupation with work-life balance is no surprise in today’s busy existence. Gone are the days when leaving the office meant actually leaving work behind. Blackberries, laptops, iPhones, Twitter and Facebook mean our availability and our access to work topics is constant. This easily gets out of control.

The consequences of all this, not surprisingly, is more stress, ill-health and exhaustion. Women especially have greater opportunity, higher levels of achievement, more influence and financial independence yet face increasing levels of depression.

Personally, I find it nearly impossible to balance my life.

I started this process a few months ago when I began thinking about balance. What do we mean by “balance”? What does it even mean to balance work and life?

Does that mean I spend equal amounts of time working and playing? Or does it mean I feel a vague sense of satisfaction with my life? I don’t know what it means for you. I do know that by my definition, my life is way out of balance.

I’m out of balance. Is that bad?

Who cares if I am out of balance? I am passionate about what I do. I love my job. I don’t want to do anything else. When I am resting, I am thinking about new marketing ideas, new ways to promote my websites, new PPC ad headlines and images to test, blog post topics, and new opportunities. Even when I am resting, my mind is racing with possibility. I am excited and pleased with my accomplishments thus far and I’m eager to get stuck into the next big project!

The other part of the story is that I am a mother of three young boys. I love my kids and I love spending time with them. I don’t want them to remember their mother as the lady who had her nose in the computer 24/7. I am a wife, a friend, a sister, and so many other things to so many people.

How am I meant to find “balance” between my excitement and passion for online marketing with the joy and love of being a good friend, wife, and mother?

I’ve done some research into this topic and I’d like to share it here with you.

7 Secrets to Balance Work Life

1) What are you passionate about?

We leak energy and become drained and frustrated when we get into a pattern of pleasing others and living in accordance with their standards rather than our own.

• Are you clear of your motives and your underlying passions and purpose in life?
• What are your values and are they in sync with your actions?
• Are you being truly authentic and speaking your truth?

Getting clarity on what you truly want from your life is the first critical step to leading a more balanced and meaningful existence.

2) Who is influencing you?

• Are you supported by your peers, colleagues and clients?
• Do you have true friends who have your best interests at heart?
• Are you in the right environment to best utilise your talents and skills?
• Do you have a personal development plan or life/business coach to provide objective guidance?

3) What are you saying to yourself?

There is substantial evidence that the way we think can have a profound and a lasting effect on our mood and motivation levels. If you are one of life’s pessimists then you will need to re-program your thoughts to expect the best – not the worst - and to swap those habits for more encouraging self talk. Focus on what has been going well rather than how far you are from your goals. See obstacles as opportunities, remain flexible and open to possibilities. Recognising and being grateful for what you have is a great way of getting things in perspective.

4) Listen to your body

Self care is essential to restore and maintain well-being and balance

• Are you sleeping well?
• What are your eating habits?
• How would you describe your energy levels?

Taking time to exercise and look after yourself is an essential component to balanced living.Listen to your intuition as it never lets us down and provides the subtle nudges to move us in the direction that is right for us.

5) Set healthy boundaries

Real life and business can be integrated but that does not mean you need to give up your privacy. You need boundaries so you can feel generous without feeling depleted and available without feeling drained.

One trick that works for me is to get a kitchen timer and use it to set limits for myself. On the weekends, I will set the timer for 45 minutes and I will work to accomplish as much as possible during that time. When the timer rings, I go and play with my kids, bake a cake, do something fun. Then I can go back to work knowing that I have spent some quality time with my family, building memories to last a lifetime.

6) “Start to Profit”

My friend and mentor, Lynn Terry, has a catch phrase “From Start to Profit” which means to stick with one idea until it makes a profit. Too often we start projects and don’t finish them. This leaves us with an uneasy feeling that we have so many projects on the go and none of them are near completion. The stress this creates can be enormous. Instead, take Lynn’s advice and focus on one project at a time. Then follow that project through to completion. This takes patience and tenacity, but it’s worth it in the long run.

7) Keep the end in mind

Although this may seem morbid, it has helped me keep my priorities straight many times. Keep the end in mind. What do you want to be remembered for? Do you want to be the guy/girl who made the most money? Had the best car? Built the best website?

Clearly identify what your purpose is, and follow that purpose.

When I am on track and aligned with my purpose, I have more energy, more enthusiasm, more positivitiy than I could possibly use. It’s a great feeling to be “in the zone”! Try to get yourself in the zone and stay there, loving life, working hard towards your goals, and living with joy.

Does this mean there is no way to balance work and life? Maybe a better phrase is to “integrate” your work with your life.

That’s the way I see it. What about you? Add to the discussion in the section below…