Do you feel that time is wasted unless you are accomplishing something? Do you feel guilty about ignoring your family when you spend time on yourself? Have you forgotten the last time you felt completely rested? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you need to look at the balance between work and the rest of your life.

The first step in achieving this balance is to stop feeling guilty. Think of yourself as a well. Each day you must draw water from your well to help sustain your work and your family. If you fail to restock the water supply in the well, it will eventually dry up. By making time for yourself, you ensure that you are able to continue to nurture and sustain both your family and your work.

Finding time for you requires organisation. The first step is to identify your values. Do you want to lead an adventurous life or a quiet one? Are you a homebody or out to conquer the world? Finding out what you want is the first step to getting it.

Once you have identified your values, you must clarify your goals. Your goals, which flow from your values, should cover your mental, social, spiritual and your physical life. For example, if your values are for adventure, your goals may be to travel to exotic places. If your values include spiritual peace, your goals might include time for meditation.

Your next step is to identify your obligations. How much time must you devote to earning money? How much time to helping your children with schoolwork, for school sports, for other child oriented activities? Once you have identified your main obligations, allocate time to them and then use the remaining time for your goals.

If your goals include education, you may want to opt for part time study. If your obligations make it difficult to leave home, then you may want to try distance learning or even Internet courses. Most Australian universities and TAFE colleges offer Internet courses. You can find out more by going to the website run by Open Learning Australia http://www.ola.edu.au.

As your life changes (your children get older, your job demands alter), adjust your activities and reallocate your time. Don't expect this to be easy, especially if you have children. Parents need training just like anyone else.