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MANAGEThebalancingACTIt’s an all too common feeling; the feeling ofbeing pushed and pulled in different directions.Everyone expects you to be at the top of yourgame in every aspect of your life, all thetime. You struggle to keep your career, home,children, lover or husband balanced and happy,and you’re under constant pressure to be theexpert on everything mankind has ever done.Sound familiar? Well, you are not alone...By Dr Liz PretoriusAs a woman, how do you copewith both work and homerelatedstress as you juggleyour career and family life, whiletrying to squeeze some ‘me time’ intoyour day as well? The majority ofworking women have more than just afew balls in the air, and need to keepthem there. Knowing that it is alrightif you drop a ball or two occasionally isthe start of acknowledging that you donot have to be perfect to be successful.Many successful individuals claimthat you can do anything you wantand be anyone you want to be. This istrue, but you have to be clear aboutyour goals and the price you areprepared to pay to achieve them, andprioritise the action steps to get there.When you want something enoughand you have a passion to achieve it,it is usually worth the time and effortyou need to invest to make it happen.But how do I achieve that balance?There are a number of steps thatyou can take to help you achieve thebalance you desire and need.Establish the most important goalsfor your career, your home and yourleisure time.The first step to achieving balanceis to set goals for your career. Whetheryou want to be the CEO of your firmor become a manager or a specialistin a certain field, be clear about whatyour passion is and what you wouldlike to achieve in the next six months,in a year and the next three years. Dothe same for your home life (family,wealth and travel) and your leisureactivities (personal and family).Once you have established whatyour goals are, communicate them towhomever you want to include in yoursupport system.Determine why you work, andprioritise your reasons.Mostly, we work because we chooseto, whatever the reason may be. Itcould be for self-gratification, financialindependence, recognition, health careand other benefits or status. Don’t beafraid to say out loud why you work;it is your need and you don’t have toapologise for it.Once you have written down your30 I S S U E 1