Page 65 - Free Yourself From

48 It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor

become demoralized and resentful that their hard work isn’t being
recognized.

To Live a Balanced Life You Need a Life Plan

When I talk to audiences about this topic, I reinforce the fact that
having a balance in your work and life is like planning a drive to
some distant destination. You need a roadmap so that you know
where you’re going and how you plan to get there. It can be brutal
to initially develop your “life map,” but if you don’t someone else
will.
Planning out this life map is just another way to help yourself
understand what goals you want to accomplish in a given timeframe,
maybe a year. But you probably want to think further out and pose
the harder, “big picture” questions to yourself: What do you want to
accomplish over the course of your life? Do you want to have a mar-
riage? Do you want to have children? Do you have financial goals?
Do you maintain your health so you can do the things you enjoy and
have the energy and stamina to be a leader in today’s ever changing
and demanding world?
This is difficult, especially when the answers to these questions
are not entirely within our control. But cultivating this self-awareness
provides the focus and courage you need to make an investment in
yourself.
In my conversations with women, I encourage them to believe
and to act on the idea that at the end of the day, they really are in
control of their work-life balance.
You do have choices regarding how you live your life, yet these
choices can sometimes be difficult choices. Husbands and children
are important; friends and aging parents are important; your per-
sonal well-being and sense of achievement are important. The con-
flict among these various parts of our lives can come to a head just