Work life balance means different things to different people. As a life coach, I provide support and motivation to help my clients to achieve a better work life balance. But they all have different needs - for some it is around better management of their day and for others it is having time for their family. For many it is taking the leap from paid employment to self employment, which is more consistent with their values, and enables them to create a better lifestyle.

The meaning of work life balance is hard to define. It is the idea that people should have enough time to be able to work and have outside interests and responsibilities. But also, it may be about having the control over when, where and how they should work to allow them to have a fulfilled life both in and outside of work.

From a corporate point of view, it may be having work practices that aim to support the needs of staff in achieving a balance between their home and working lives, but also support the business needs. For many years, work life balance has been promoted by the government and millions of pounds have been invested into organisations to help them to implement new laws and guidelines. New UK legislation allows carers to apply for flexible working from 6 April 2007 and improvements have been made to maternity and paternity provision.

Some companies offer flexible working for all staff. One of my clients works for a city council which promotes flexible working as one of their benefits. She is able to work from home one day a week, which saves her the time and the stress of commuting to work. Also in that time, she is able to access her work email and respond to phone queries. Most importantly, she has more time to do her job without normal interruptions, thus being more productive. However, she would like to work from home more often, but there is also the pressure from the business and her colleagues of being physically present in the workplace.

Increasing technology has allowed a greater flexibility, as people are able to work from home or on the move. However, this can then infringe on their personal time as they find themselves working from home or on holiday. This then blurs the boundaries between work and free time, and potentially affecting their work life balance.

In reality, work life balance is a personal choice. It is about having the ability to manage what you would like to have in your life and choosing what is important to you. It is then achieving the right balance between all aspects of your life that make you happy and provide fulfilment.

Copyright Karen Williams 2007. All Rights Reserved

About the Author

Karen Williams is a Life and Career Development Coach and runs her own coaching practice, Self Discovery Coaching. She has over ten years experience of working in Human Resources, training, coaching and management roles and is a Chartered member of the CIPD.

For more information and to sign up for the free Self Discovery newsletter, go to www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk.