How can busy business professionals achieve a true work life balance?

First, you have to recognize is that work/life balance is a process. It's ongoing. It's not something that you do once, and then everything just stays that way forever. As your circumstances change, so will your balance. You'll always need to make "course corrections."

Second, acknowledge that what constitutes balance for you is unlikely to be the same as it is for anyone else. It's a truism to say that you're unique; but it's amazing how many people think that they should be able to do what everyone else does. Decide what you want, and then work toward it.

Third, remember why you're doing this. Balance, whatever that means for you, is intended to help you achieve those things that are important to you. That means that you don't allow yourself to become a slave to your system. If you're working for it, instead of it working for you, then you've forgotten why you're doing it.

Fourth, remind yourself that it's your responsibility. It's not something that your company, your boss, or even your best friend should do for you. You have to do it, and if you don't others will achieve a balance for themselves at your expense.

Fifth, acknowledge that it will take time to get the balance you want. As the saying goes: Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will you be able to balance your activities the way that you want to as soon as you want to.

Sixth, track the changes you make and take stock at the end of each cycle of time that includes your activities. For most people, this is a week. For others, it may be as little as a day. Compare the balance you want with what you got. If you don't do this, you'll never get a handle on what changes will give you the greatest return. The smallest tweaks are likely to give you the best results.

Seventh, if your in a relationship (parent, spouse, etc), then check with those around you to make sure that your balance is exactly that. Doing all that you want while shutting out those around you isn't balance. It's selfishness.

Eighth, reward yourself when you are successful. This will help you to reinforce the behavior that you want.

Once you've figured out what's really important to you it comes down to one thing: You have to be comfortable saying no. If you have a strong feeling of personal responsibility, that's much harder than it sounds. But if you can't say no you can forget about work life balance.

The other thing to keep in mind is that there may be consequences for saying no. You have to be OK with those and find your own path to success.

All of the theories about work/life balance are good to know. It's actually a bit simpler. I've found that if you're going to master your time you *have* to learn how to do it correctly. Here are a few bits I've learned over the years:

*Time management strategies for the IT pro*
http://searchwinit.techtarget.com/tip/Time-management-strategies-for-the-IT-pro

If you remember one thing about managing your time and establishing a good balance remember what the late Richard Carlson said: “Just because someone throws you the ball doesn't mean you have to catch it.”

Also, The Speed Trap (http://amzn.to/ghCASH) is an AMAZING book that not only shows you how your thinking affects everything in your life but it also provides great examples of how to truly slow down - and make it stick.

Like Steven already said - you have one life full of choices of how to invest time.

Know your values - they apply across the board and should be part of every decision

Know what matters to you - activities of any kind should matter to you

Know your gifts and talents - they play a role in what you bring to the table for every action and interaction

Know what makes you happy and leverage decisions in their direction.

I prefer a more simple approach. If it is important to you...you will do it. The question itself is almost slanted towards..."How do you make more personal time out of your busy work schedule?"

If indeed your personal life is more important, then you will prioritize those things. If your work is more important then you will prioritize those things.

Don't kid yourself, you will do what is most important to you. Just be aware there will be consequences for either decision you make. Own it, and do it.

I am not a fan of work life balance because the notion of "balance" places work life and personal life in opposition of one another. I am a believer in work life "integration." We should stop trying (and failing) to balance our two lives (work and our personal). Instead, let's try to integrate them into one life. I discuss the notion of "work life integration" in my latest blog post. http://bit.ly/fMX1WE Thanks for the inspiration Caty.

1. Turn off the cell phone.
2. Turn off the blackberry.
3. Turn off the laptop.

Feel the equilibrium.

Work life balance is all about time management and goals. It's a choice between finishing a report or going for pizza with some friends. It's about priorities, and goals, priorities, choices are all transient, because what is important today, isn't tomorrow and visa versa.

I've made some choices that were right when I made them and in hindsight were partially correct, but today and certainly tomorrow that aspect which was partially wrong will come back to haunt me, but that's life.

The old adage, "live for today, because tomorrow may not come" has some truth and merit to it, the problem is if tomorrow comes and you didn't prepare.

Work life balance is extremely subjective, as was pointed out by Bruce. What is a good balance for one person might very well be suntenable for another. Over the years, however, I have developed a tool that helps me stay balanced, even as my priorities and life change.

I have developed a list of seven elements that, for me, touch on the factors that are important in my life and keeping it in balance. I check in on these elements periodically. They are: finances, job/career, my primary relationship, other relationships (family, friends, social), spirituality, health, and community.

I use a balance sheet to determine where I am, whether it's where I want to be, and to plan any changes. The questions that I ask myself about each of the seven elements listed above are:
1. What is going right for me?
2. What is NOT going right for me?
3. Where do I want to get (within what timeframe)
4. How important is this to me (a scale of 1-10 helps me determine my priorities)
5. How will I get where I want to go (specific actions)

I try to complete my check in each year, but, depending upon the circumstances, I may check in more or less frequently. One thing I have found is that whenever I feel that nothing seems to be going right, I do a check in. It helps me see that some things are going right and also gets me focused on actions to get me out of my funk.

Sometimes when I am doing a check in, I don't actually go through the whole exercise for all seven of the elements. At those times, just looking at the list may reinforce what I already know - that I need to work on a specific issue in one of the elements. But, again, it motivates me to write down what I need to do and how I intend to do it.

Lastly, the check in process always reminds me that I can only control certain things in my life. Others control other things. When someone else is in control of something that I want to change, I figure out how to work with them to get the desired result. If there is no way to do that, I either acccept whatever it is or change what I can change, which may involve removing myself from the situation.

I'm always struggling with the term"work-life balance", wondering whether people don't live while they are working or people doesn't work while they are living? As Bruce already mentioned, it's a process to get to a balance.

I personally prefer to talk about the “energy balance” we definitely need in our lives. To come to a balance like that it's important to identify what's really important for oneself, what's the purpose, what is it we want to do, what really matters, and what are the own drivers and motivators. It's about self-responsibility, too. That means learning what creates positive energy for oneself and what creates negative energy. It's relevant for the private, family life and for the working and business life – for all roles we have in different situations in our lives.
Additionally, it has to do with own values and principles we appreciate, and it's about setting the own priorities and being consequent in executing them. That has to do with time management and with being able to say no, as Laura already mentioned. Individual priorities can be everything, there is no good or bad, it's just important that people answer these questions honestly for themselves.
Assuming situations like that, working on topics people have a passion for, working in a business culture that fits to the own values, that will create also positive energy, even if there is a lot to do. Working like this can also be stressing, no doubt, but normally these situations create more positive than negative stress. So, people also receive positive energy from their work.
Additionally the own attitude is a critical success factor, too. The more positive people are in their thinking, the better they normally deal with stressing situations. So, it helps to check the way how to look at a certain situation and to be aware of the current own attitude – that's what we really can change - immediately.

It's about managing the own energy balance and to learn how to recharge the own batteries and – of course take the time to really recharge them! Therefore, I agree to everything mentioned here, especially by Andrew and Bruce.

Have a look in Seth Godin's “Tribes” or “Linchpin” will be inspirational regarding this question!

My feeling is that Work/Life Balance only gets us to making sure we are spending equal or proportionate time at work as we do at home(life). Work/Life IN Balance is actually where we set our priorities in both as to importance. To be truly happy in work, we need to be happy at home (in life) because one influences the other and vice-versa. Time is a part of it but not the main part. In Work/Life Balance, time is the main and most times only component. Work/Life IN Balance is more of a holistic view for total inner harmony. You really need to have as much passion in work as you do in life. So it's really 100% for each. With Work/Life Balance there is a trade-off. One wins and one loses some. In Work/Life IN Balance there are no trade-offs and no losers.

I think John T. hit it on the head. You will do what's important to you and no matter what choice you make there will be consequences. You can have an exciting and successful career and professional life or you can have a fulfilling and enriching personal life, but you can't have both. People who are scratching their way to the top are 'owned' . They take work home, they get calls nights, weekends, holidays, you name it. They become a 24 x 7 slave to the cause. Technology (ipads, iphones, etc.) only exacerbates the problem. It’s too easy to work anywhere.

My quest for a senior level executive position cost me my first marriage. I've been happily married the second time around for 23 years and it's a great marriage. But, I chose the relationship over business and the fast-track career this time around. In the end, all any of us have is family and the relationships we’ve nurtured over the years. When you walk out of the company where you devoted your life, the mark you leave will be as long lasting as the hole in the water after you’ve pulled your finger out. The priority formula for happiness is: God, family, and then everything else after that in whatever order you prioritize them.

Thanks everyone for all of your input. I am a recent college grad and currently I am working on my own work/life balance with my new career. Hey I may be single, but I still need balance! :) I have found that my time is definitely more valuable and I try to properly allocate my time. I find that turning off the phone and laptop help, sometimes you just need to shut technology out. After all, looking at a screen all day is definitely not healthy or normal. Also, I feel that one of the main keys to balancing work/life is your energy level. Getting enough sleep, exercise, and eating right really does make a difference in your overall energy and life. Find time to take care of yourself and you'll find that balancing everything is much easier.

The path to work life balance begins from within, your mental state, your thoughts while at work or at home! Are you present at work? Are you present at home? If your natural state is overwelmed or out of balance make time to bring it back into balance. My 2 cents!

I prefer to live on the edge. Life is too short to spend energy on a balancing act. Be in the moment every moment and you will live life to its fullest. Choose to be joyful through good and bad times. Take responsibility for your choices and get rid of the common victim mentality that may dominate the workplace. Like Ghandi said - "Be the change you want to see in the world." If so if we don't like what is happening in our lives, then it is up to us to create change. Complacency and mediocrity will thrive if we choose to do nothing. Are you willing to push the boundaries of your comfort zone? I am. Come join me on the edge.

@Patricia Wow, now that is a confident position. I like that you are "choosing" to approach life like that. The problem with many of us, is that we live life in default. When we do, we are being "acted upon" instead of "acting." Your awareness of, and stance towards, living life this way is action. Your choice. I commend you for your fortitude and spunk. However, many of us are seeking some reprieve from the hectic day-to-day, which is why balance can be such a good thing. I had my time living life on the edge. Now I am choosing to step away from the edge, with most things, and find renewal and maybe another view. Not retirement (@Kevin) just growth and challenges on a different hill:)
Great discussion...

---"You can have an exciting and successful career and professional life or you can have a fulfilling and enriching personal life, but you can't have both."

@Will, while I agree with the gist of what you said, I'm pretty sure that I don't agree with this sentiment. :)

It is possible to have a fulfilling life which includes a fulfilling career, as long as you don't feel you need to work 23 hours in a day to achieve the latter.

The implication of your statement to me is that for your personal life to be successful, your career must be mediocre or average, and I'd guess that many of the people on this thread would disagree.

You can have your cake and eat it too if you are realistic about the size of that cake. :)

If you want work life balance retire :)