The other day I was introducing myself to a group of busy professionals. I told them I especially loved to work with women who feel they are overworked and have no life; and lack balance between their work life and their personal life.

As I was heading out door to my next appointment a woman from group stopped me and said she really wanted to work with me, and she could totally relate to being one of those out of balance women.

Neither of us had our calendars so she took my business card and promised to be in touch to set up an appointment. She seemed inspired about finding balance in her life and I was excited at prospect of a new client.

Days later when I hadn’t heard from this woman I began to wonder why she didn’t call. She seemed so ready and enthusiastic. I casually mentioned it to a friend who reminded me that she was probably too busy and overwhelmed to even follow through with scheduling an appointment. It was clear evidence of how much she really needed some support. “Duh”, I thought to myself.

Most of us are in same boat, we all live in same demanding culture…some of us work, some of us raise families; some of us do both. We juggle a million details, we manage best we can and still barely have time to breathe. We often have to beg, borrow and steal for personal time. Can you relate to this?

Here’s my bottom line. You have a CHOICE about how you want to live your life. Whether you work for a large company, own your own business or are a stay at home parent how you live your life is up to you. This might sound like a no brainer. You know you have choice, but do you really feel like you have one?

I want to challenge you to take a step back and look at your life. Evaluate your priorities and ask yourself if you are living by choice OR by default? Is your life in balance? I believe first step in restoring balance and living your life by choice is to acknowledge that you’re not.

How do you achieve a balance between your life and your work?

First, identify obstacles or excuses that keep you from changing anything. The most common excuse I hear is, “I’m TOO busy”. Are you willing to break “I’m too busy” excuse in order to have more balance in your life?

Second, set up some very simple structures in your life that will begin to make difference.

You may need any of those things for any given achievement. If you’re trying to become a pro basketball player, you’ll need muscle. If you’re trying to get a college degree, you’ll need brain. If you want to become a plumber, you’ll need education, and if you want to be a lab tech, you’ll need technical skills.

But there’s one thing you’ll need no matter what you’re trying to accomplish, and that’s patience.

As Shakespeare said: “How poor are they that ha’ not patience! / What wound did ever heal but by degrees? / Thou know’st we work by wit and not by witchcraft, / And wit depends on dilatory time.” [Othello, II:3]

“Dilatory” means “tending or intended to cause delay,” and this quality of time – or time it takes to do something worthwhile – can’t be bent. Whatever you’re attempting, it will take as long as it takes. By wit, he means using your head, not relying on “witchcraft,” magical formulas, or wishful thinking. There is no magic that can make it happen. It takes thought, planning, and determination, and yes, these all require time.

So whatever task at hand – accomplishing something in your career, grieving a loss or death, rearing your children, or forging bonds with a new partner – it will take time, and therefore it will take patience.

And here’s what is sometimes hardest part. The word “patience” comes from Latin “pati” to suffer. All meanings of patience in dictionary let you know something is going to be required of you that magic can’t circumvent:

·Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint ·Manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain ·Not hasty or impetuous ·Steadfast despite opposition, difficult or adversity ·Able or willing to bear