Question:
I want life balance and still be able to get ALL the important things done. Is there hope?

Become less concerned with balance and more concerned with Purpose and Focus.

Answer:
First, define the term balance. So often, people seeking “balance” end up with a life something like both sides of a scale dragging the ground behind them. They may very well end up with something they call “balance”, which is little more than an equal amount of things that are important and unimportant.  Why do you want to balance the important with the unimportant? And when your child is sick do you really want “work-life balance”? No, you want to focus on your child because, right then, your purpose as a parent supersedes all other roles.

Instead, I suggest thinking of work-life balance as a Teeter-Totter, which is certainly possible to balance but is much more fun when it “seesaws’ back and forth. In fact, that is the purpose of a teeter-totter!

Become less concerned with balance and more concerned with Purpose and Focus. First you must get clear about those few things that are most important you, with a clear sense of priority. You can’t have more than one priority (it’s no longer a priority, by definition). Rather than trying to balance them, however, learn to focus on each priority, one at a time, at The Intersection of Purpose and Now.  You will eventually squeeze the unimportant out of your life.

Purpose comes from service, and you may have more than one purpose for each of the vital few key roles you serve in life; it may be One Thing central to all your various roles. When you have done the work necessary to discover your Purpose then, and only then, it becomes possible to have an On-Purpose day. 

Purpose gives your day focus and meaning; it shapes your goals, your decision-making, and your use of time. Your purpose throughout the day may be to focus on the needs of your employees and customers, then in the evening shift to the needs of your spouse, getting kids to hockey and dance classes, then to reading from a great book before bedtime.

Once you are clear on your purpose(s) in life, focusing on JUST the important things becomes possible – and it’s fun!