In my work with successful professionals and business owners, I often hear my clients voice a common concern: "I don't have the time to do what I really want to do. Work occupies so much of my time. I feel my life is out of balance." Successful professionals and business owners often feel pressured to work harder and keep longer hours to keep up with the demands of their work. Under these circumstances it is easy to develop the belief that there just is not enough time to do all that needs to be done, much less to spend time doing what one would like to do. Feeling controlled by circumstances leads to significant feelings of frustration that, over time, will lead to poor work performance and burnout. Restoring a sense of balance is crucial to thriving in your work and personal life.

All too often, balance is taken to mean having everything we have today, but with less tension, stress, and pressure. In actuality, truly experiencing balance means making tough choices about how to allocate your time and energy based on your core values. Living from commitments based on your core values is a very different approach to work-life balance than trying to have it all and do it all.

Most of us hold a number of values, yet we all have three to five values that encompass our other values and supersede less important values when circumstances require us to make difficult choices. These three to five values are our core values. We feel out of balance when we experience ourselves as acting in conflict with our core values, perhaps because of our circumstances.

If you are feeling your life is out of balance, begin by identifying your core values. Visit my website at http://www.tapthepotential.com/coachingexercises.html for an exercise to help you identify your core values.

Once you have identified your core values, the next step is to honestly evaluate circumstances in your work and personal life, asking yourself if your work and personal life reflect your core values. Are there areas in your life in which you are acting in conflict with your core values, or are there circumstances in your life that suppress your expression of your core values? The second article in this series will address resolving the circumstances in your life and work that are interfering with the expression of your core values.

Restoring a healthy work-life balance is vital to attaining peak performance at work and thriving in one's personal life. Keep in mind that experiencing a healthy work-life balance does not mean successfully juggling multiple responsibilities so that you can have it all. Rather, a healthy work-life balance means truly being aware of your core values and making the difficult choices about how to allocate your time based on your core values.

Are you ready to upgrade your lifestyle? Sign-up for your complimentary coaching session today at www.tapthepotential.com/signup.html