Juggling is exhausting, exasperating and ultimately, unsustainable. To achieve work-life balance, consider these strategies, suggested by authors of "Beyond Juggling: Rebalancing Your Busy Life":
ALTERNATING
Alternating allows you to immerse yourself in a particular personal or professional pursuit, yet requires maintaining hard-and-fast boundaries between work and non-work.
To be a successful alternater, you must have an ability to generate a substantial income or to live frugally and like or at least tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty.
OUTSOURCING
Outsourcing allows you to stay fully engaged in your professional life, yet presents a time-versus-money dilemma that creates the risk of working more to make up the economic difference.
To be a successful outsourcer, you must be clear about your priorities, be willing to exchange time for money (or, if you're faced with financial limitations, rely on a robust, reciprocal network of family, friends, neighbors and other supporters), and invest time and energy to seek and manage a full line-up of reliable resources.
BUNDLING
Bundling allows you to conserve time and energy by focusing on fewer activities, yet requires you to trade spontaneity for structure.
To be a successful bundler, you must be a good planner, organizer, networker, integrator and communicator, as well as a "nut" about efficiency.
TECHFLEXING
Techflexing allows you to get your work done during the hours that make the most sense for you, yet creates a sense of isolation by limiting your contact with friends and other supporters at work.
To be a successful techflexer, you must work within a profession and/or organizational culture that are conducive to flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting, and be a technically savvy self-starter who can work alone and set and maintain boundaries.
SIMPLIFYING
Simplifying allows you to slow down and live life more deliberately and purposefully, yet requires you to make a variety of personal and professional sacrifices.
To be a successful simplifier, you must have values and priorities that are aligned with a simpler lifestyle, manage your finances effectively and exercise discipline in saying "no" to relationships, activities and pursuits that aren't in sync with your master plan.
From "Beyond Juggling: Rebalancing Your Busy Life" By Kurt Sandholtz, Brooklyn Derr, Kathy Buckner and Dawn Coleman. For more information visit www.beyondjuggling.com.