Now that you know how important work-life balance is, you may be wondering how you can get some in your life. And it's not easy. We all have busy lives, and there are only so many hours in the day. How do we cram work, family, friends, and leisure in without overdoing it?

ACRL recently put out an "Active Guide" on work-life balance (the full citation is in the references). The author, Melanie Hawks, suggests the following steps to help you think about work-life balance in your life:

• Figure out your priorities. Write down your top five values. These are the most important aspects of your life, things that when you get to the end of your life you can look back on and feel good about. It's hard to prioritize -- but it's essential. When everything is a priority, nothing is. You have to be able to make choices about how you will spend your time.
• Be realistic. If your top priorities include things like "Become CEO of Apple within 2 years," "Make every piece of food my child eats from scratch using wholly homegrown and organic ingredients," "Become the national chess champion" -- give yourself a break! The key to work-life balance is feeling successful and content in what you're accomplishing in life. If you set unrealistic expectations, you'll make yourself miserable.
• Learn how to say no. We often feel like we have to do everything. When a manager asks us to take on more projects, when a friend asks for a favor, when your daughter's teacher asks you to make 56 cupcakes, it's hard to say no. But we can't do everything, much as we would like to. Focus on your priorities, and be ruthless about cutting other things out.
• Make some time for yourself. We all have hobbies and personal interests that are important to us. And it's imperative that we find the time to devote to these activities. Even if it's only a couple hours a week, take time to do what you want. Take an art class, go to a movie, read a book -- whatever will make you happy.
• Enlist the help of others. Often, we just can't do everything on our own. When you feel overwhelmed, ask for help. Tell your supervisor that you need more time on a project. Make your spouse in charge of dinner. Lean on a friend. This not only frees up time, but it strengthens our relationships, a worthy goal in and of itself.

Doesn't that seem reasonable? Map out your priorities and make some changes in your life. And most importantly, stick to it! Work-life balance is a long-term goal. Re-evaluate your priorities periodically -- they change as your life progresses. It's vital that you think about what's most important to you.

Managers have a special responsibility to promote work-life balance not only in their own lives, but also in their employees'. If you supervise workers, read our For Managers section to learn more.