I am a strong believer that Success only comes to those people who are in balance.

Success is defined as setting and making movement towards those goals. If you are not moving towards the goals you are not successful.

Balance means having goals in Personal Growth, Giving Back, Health, Financial Stability, and Relationships. (I have details ad-nauseam on my website about this concept)

So for me -

Personal Growth is Daf Yomi, listening to my Product Red Nano filled with Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, Denis Waitely, Dan Kennedy, Yanik Silver, to name the current few. And of course reading books.

Giving Back is about teaching at the YMCA , teaching running at the Running Room, and writing articles.

Health is running, roller blading, eating right, reading novels, playing board games, and the Sabbath.

Financial Stability is helping people grow income by 25% annually.

Relationships are my family, friends, business associates, and the world of LinkedIn.

However, my thoughts are just one approach to the problem.

When you read the comments below, you will see that pretty much everybody agrees that taking the time to serve yours and others’ needs is vital to success. I have outlined above the system that encompasses just this into my business, called Success through Balance.

One interesting thing mentioned is meditation. As an orthodox Jew, prayer is an important part of my day. I don’t really include it in my balance, but if my prayer schedule is messed up for any reason, it does effect my day. The question is where does prayer fit in? Is it part of relationships (with Gd) or is part of health for the mediation aspect of it.

Click here to find the original question and answer on LinkedIn Answers

The Success Stories series provides case studies from people about what it takes to become successful. Each of us is unique in our goals and aspirations, but we have things in common with others. Through the 10,000,000 people in my LinkedIn network we can share ideas and solutions that will help you achieve your goals. While I don’t always agree with all the comments I receive, I include all that are presented coherently and could help at least one of my readers.

The questions have been slightly edited for grammar and presentation. Comments and Kudos, while always appreciated, have been edited out.

Click here to read all the Success Stories.

I try to find a balance between the things I do professionally and what I do in private. Doing some work as a volunteer counter-balances the strictly rational professional activities.

I think it is essential, though, to have a "family project" as well- something that is shared with the rest of your family. And every now and then, a technique or whatever from my professional life is useful for the rest as well.

There are many "things" I do to keep me in balance. And one in particular that always brings me back into balance should I fall out is meditating 10-20 minutes in the evening. That is the one "thing" that if I had to give it up, would throw me completely out of balance. When I do that; everything else falls into place much easier. I like to use vibrational meditations such as Alaha Ruhau or Om mani padme hum. Both of those (aramaic and sanskrit respectively) bring a person back into the flow and much more.

I use mindfulness and meditation to keep myself grounded, and remain in touch with the fact that the world as we perceive it is an illusion, a perception, a trick of the mind. Once I can experientially understand and keep in tune with the fact that real world is not contingent upon my beliefs, moods and emotions, life remains a moment to moment experience. I don’t have to unnecessarily roll in my past – which is simply a scrapbook of memories and/or worry much about the future, which hasn’t really unfolded. All I have to play with is the present. That brings me to focus on the here and now.

 It took a great deal of effort to subscribe to the prescription of ancient wisdom, and I still struggle….but….I’d say I’ve taken many steps in the direction of a balanced life.

For me to keep life in balance I laugh and feel the joy in the world. Use reiki and the inner guidance that has helped me get this far.

 I read and I keep my mind active.

 I fully understand all that is negative around me and look for the reverse and bring that in my focus.

 Treat everyday as a new experience and most of all have belief that I choose my feelings and thoughts.

 The world is a perfect place – it’s just the people inside who do not see or appreciate the opportunity that has been ‘given’ to them. Every birth is a gift.

Step 1: Decide whether work/life balance is for you

First of all, I believe your first assumption is that people want to have a properly balance work / life. That is, not dedicating your time too much to one so that you neglect the other. This is important, since I know people that don’t care about personal life. They are happy with putting 70 and 80 hour weeks, and get stressed when they can’t. That is not my case, but I certainly respect other people’s preferences.

 Step 2: Look at the downsides and worst-case scenarios and be willing to take them.

 Assuming work/life balance is your goal, you need to look at the downside. For instance, work/life balance is not possible in investment banking where the expectation is that you put 80+ hours per week. In some other companies, promotions go to those that put lots of hours at work. In reality, you won’t be able to be as effective working 40 hours a week as you are working 60 hours, so your performance might be lower. Are you willing to live with the fact your career might not advance as quickly as you expect? Are you willing to quit your current job and look for another perhaps for lower pay in the short-term? Are there employers that value work-life balance that you want to work for? Will you have to relocate? In short, ask the tough questions before you decide not after you have made changes to your work style.

 Step 3: Gather supports from key stakeholders. Share your vision.

Once you decide you want to achieve work/life balance despite the potential disadvantages, you need to discuss them with your significant other. As with any business plan, you need to make sure she understands the disadvantages and the potential implications as well, and she fully supports you. Thus, the downside might never materialize, but if it does, you will be fully covered.

 Step 4: Plan your life around it, and execute.

Talk to your supervisor about current problem of work-life balance, the implications for the team (perhaps none), and offer ways to mitigate the impact in the organization. Some companies simply will expect that you continue working as much as you can. If this is the company you are currently in, most likely you will have to change employer.

The reality is, that most companies reward hard work, and number of hours seem to be a proxy for how hard you work. Other companies reward outcomes rather than effort. This is the class of companies you want to work for to minimize the impact in your professional life. In fact, some consulting companies are offering work-life balance training programs because they are starting to realize that is not in their best interest for the long-term.

 The worst-case scenario might never materialize. But in case it does, you want to have your partner right there with you focusing on the solutions and not on arguing about your decision to work a proper amount of time.

 Also, make sure that you achieving work-life balance is a means to achieve a greater objective and not the objective in itself. In one of my many air travels, I saw an inspirational frame that still touches me when I think of it, and I believe that achieving work-life balance is the means to achieve this: "One hundred years from now, it will not matter the kind of house I lived in, the kind of car I drove, or what my bank account balance was. But the world might be different because I was important in the life of a child".

Being from a Scottish heritage, I try to maintain my balance by thinking of and trying to practice the meaning of this statement from Robert (Rabbie) Burns, "Oh wad (what) some power the giftie gie (gift to give) us, oo see oursel’s as others see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us, and foolish notion.”

 I believe that money isn’t everything in life. My best memories in life are priceless but have no monetary cost. So, for me, I try to experience the beautiful things like a person’s smile or laughter. I give my time freely for the things that matter to me, like family, friends and community. I try to leave my work and stress at the office. But most importantly, I try to forgive as quickly as possible.

To me, I view to keep life in balance as when I am happy.

 To do so, I follow my own rules and techniques that make me happy:

• take care of myself: exercise, eat healthy, and drink lots of water
• be a good partner and enjoy life together with my partner’s fiancée
• be positive with people and lend a hand to those who’s in need
• do my best and go the extra miles at work
• set a goal, and follow through

• daily to do list (both personal and work), complete them, and cross them off the list (the best feeling)
• keep my mind active, with reading and learning new things (love school, the discussion part – not the HW part)
• keep in touch with friends and good people that I have come across in my life
• last, but not least (that I could think of) If there’s a bad day, the next day will be better!

Some days, I could just wake up and for no good reason, I am either happy and excited or feeling down … I just go with it, try to do all those things that make me happy, try to make the best out of that day, and keep reminding myself at that moment that it will get better tomorrow

I have stepped back from "balance" and I am working toward a successful integration of work and life. I look to development that will help both my personal and professional life. I don’t strictly compartmentalize and thus do not get upset with one part of my life mixing with another. The trick is giving full attention to the part of your life you have committed to at the moment.

 www.guideonyourside.com

I think success is a vague and relative word and must be clarified before I could contribute to your question. For example, success might be achieved towards yourself only and might be achieved towards others and also could be both. Success might also be in one area such as your career or might be in your family life. Success also might be perceived and felt by others towards you but not necessarily you feel the same. Another important thing is that people tie being successful to achieving their own goals. What if these goals were not the right thing to pursue in the first place? Would you consider yourself successful even if you achieve these goals? Criminals have evil goals and when they achieve them would you be considering them successful?

 There are many things like these that tell me that being successful is not the word that could describe something that I would like to pursue. Being happy on the other hand might be the thing that I would like to pursue in my life. Sometimes you see people who are perceived very "successful" such as being rich or famous or have done remarkable achievement, however, they end up their lives with a suicide or taking drugs and end up in rehab, etc. Were they successful?

 If you restrict the definition of success as achieving only one goal which is being happy in your life then I might contribute few things. However, leaving it open like that then I must say that it really depends.

I do what I love to do for my profession (multimedia production), so I am always happy to "work," and never feel like I am working, although people tell me I "work" too much, but it isn’t work to me, it’s creation.

Balance in rich media production is easy, as the slices of the pie (2D, 3D, Sound Design, Composition, Programming, Imaging, DVE, Design, etc.) are so vastly different from each other, that I can essentially take a break from one by doing one of the others, thus avoiding burnout, as 3D is completely different from songwriting which is completely different from programming.

The same goes for Health/Sports/Physical Activities: Kite Surfing, Skiing, Martial Arts, Diving, Football (coach my son), Weight Training, Mountain Biking around Point Conception (Movie: Sideways) are all fun and different from each other.

I guess my motto is "Variety is the Spice of Life" when it comes to my professional and health endeavors. For me, personal growth is related to my digital artisan self; mastering new software, synthesis, instruments, learning new programming languages, creating new designs.

[ZT - I agree whole heartedly, I have too many hobbies and not enough time to do them all.]

My "secret" is to just be me every day, don’t sell your soul to the devil and be in action fulfilling your dreams.

Only the journey towards Balance is great. So, preferably just before balance is reached, you need to redefine your goal. Set it to something not quite possible just yet – and work hard to get there. For me reaching balance means your life’s ended. Therefore life = unbalance –> always something new to happen.

Being a nudist works best for me. Why? It’s hard to understand unless you try it. For me, it’s a great equalizer. It’s about stripping down to one’s bare essence (literally and symbolically), being open about who you are, and not trying to make yourself "look good." It’s also about acceptance and comfort. It’s empowering.

[ZT - Nudist? Wow. I once heard the best form of birth control was leaving the lights on with somebody over 50. I am turning 50 next year]

There are two thoughts that keep things in perspective:

1)"Any day you don’t wake up dead is a good day."

2)"We all start life at point A and end at point B. It’s the path we take that determines the meaning of our life"

That said, you have to determine what "balance" means to you and how you plan on achieving it.

Ironically, you used Hemingway as an example. Here’s a man who espoused to live life to its fullest, but ended up swallowing a 12 gauge due to alcoholic induced depression.

 If that’s what makes you, you, who am I to criticize?

[ZT - In the first issue of Success Magazine, the CD insert had a presentation by Og Madino. In it he says no matter how bad your day is, he has a guaranteed way of finding somebody that will trade places with you. He says, find a newspaper. Open the obituary section. And he is positive that everyone listed in the obituary page will change places with you.]

One thing I do is to regularly look at what areas I need to add to, and doing so. I have quite varied interests and skills. I also like to try new things. If I feel I am falling short in exercise I might either pick up one of my usual means of exercise, or look for a new activity.

 I also make an effort to enjoy work and not let things dampen my spirit. If I let something get to me, it’s a failure of my resolve. This helps me still feel good about my work at the end of the day.

 I also plan to take a full 2-3 months off of work every 5 years to escape and do something else, like work in a farm or volunteer. Just a holiday would not do. Some of my greatest lessons in life have been from part time work I did while studying.

 Let me recommend a book: ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma. It gives a bit of insight into how you can get to that state of balance.

I recently delivered a presentation on Success Strategies for Living Your Dreams. Some of the strategies I discussed are those I incorporate in my daily life. Below are a few of the success strategies I use to balance my life.

1. I surround myself with people who are positive and motivating. I believe it is so important to surround yourself with people who wish you well and who inspire and uplift you. If you want to be truly successful and remain balanced in life, you need to surround yourself with people of like mind. Therefore, my family and friends are a very important part of my life.
2. I remain committed and dedicated to whatever I decide to pursue in life. If you truly want to be successful, it is important to be committed and dedicated to whatever you choose to do in life. Oftentimes, when things are not going the way we plan, people will tend to give up rather than working through the problem and sticking with it.
3. I work toward becoming a healthier me each day. After all, without your health, success is meaningless.
4. I am not afraid to fail; therefore, I pursue my dreams. I certainly don’t advocate failing; however, I believe it is important to recognize that if you do fail at something, you need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue to move forward. Never let your failures keep you down.
5. I count my blessings each day. I am very thankful and appreciative of everything I have. I believe it is so important to give thanks and count your blessings for a balanced life.
6. I volunteer my time. I believe it is important to help others. As a matter of fact, my business is all about empowering people with the tools and resources to achieve their dreams and live their best life.
7.  I practice kindness. I believe kindness should be practiced daily. Practicing kindness will definitely help to balance your life because you will receive kindness in return.

[ZT - Very nicely put. Jim Rohn says - I will get everything I want in life if I help everybody else get what they want. I like that turn of phrase]

Araceli Arroyo

To keep my life in balance I must do just that balance my priorities and make a conscious effort to have a balance with work, family, community, fun and relaxation. Time management and scheduling is a large factor. My calendar is crucial, it includes meetings, appointments, events and task lists for both work and personal scheduling. I am not saying to have such a structured time committed life, where everything is done every hour on the hour. However I make sure to add must-do’s to my calendar where by I ensure I do make time to fit in my priorities.

[ZT - Click here is a nice article about setting priorities from Brian Tracy.]

To keep the nay sayers at bay and to have a positive outlook…also I do enjoy the entertainment work I do so it makes so much easier…….but sometimes negative forces try to drag you down and you just have to distance yourself from them and always believe in the goal that you set for yourself…REACH FOR THE STARS AND THE SKY

Be selfish from time to time. It looks provocative, but it is not. If one wants to help others (including business wise), he has to be in a safe position. That is the first thing taught in any rescue course by the way. So what does safe means in this case? This is the difficult part. I think one needs to have crossed the limit (and suffered the consequences) to understand, first he has a limit and then where it is.

Then one needs tools. That requires some personal development IMHO. Many ways exist to do this. One of the most efficient for me was to discover I had a heart… Cardiac coherence truly changed my life. And detachment helped as well (Chopra explains it well in his "Seven Laws of Spiritual Success”).

In any case, finding its balance takes years. But it is so necessary…

[ZT - Here is a Jim Rohn thought - If I look after myself, I can help you. If you look after yourself, you can help me.]

I’ve found it helpful to limit my consumption of goods/services to the capability of my paycheck. I’ve implemented a sleeping pattern – a minimum of 8 hours a night (sleeping is free) – that discourages spending. It used to be that stores closed for the night. Not anymore. The Internet is a 24/7 shoppers delight. There are other benefits to sleeping.

A recent scientific sleep study indicated that sleeping burns calories. Not only can one lose weight by sleeping but also keep the checkbook balanced.

Moderation is the key in any aspect of life, including nutrition and exercise.

[ZT - That is what Maimonides says and he wrote it in 10th century]

Balance is an in-the-moment dynamic. I am not "always" in a state of balance, rather my intention is to move myself back to a state of balance as soon as possible when I get out of balance. To do that, I pay attention to my feelings.

 When I feel good, I am in a state of balance. What I feel not-good, I am in a state of imbalance. I often say that being out of balance is not a big deal unless I make a big deal about it. Being out of balance is a powerful opportunity for clarity and forward movement, especially when I am intolerant of being out of balance for very long.

 When I approach balance in this way, I can more easily find my balance in each situation. I don’t have to figure out all the aspects of every situation in which I find myself, I simply pay attention to how I feel and realign myself when I am off balance.

 (I also help people to have a regular meditation practice, so it is very important that I keep returning to balance again and again.)

Reflection and Prioritization.

Personal Growth: Learning from others–whether through reading, listening or networking.

Giving Back: Serving on nonprofit organizations’ boards of directors and/or playing in charitable golf tournaments.

 Health: Hiking, mountain biking, snorkelling.

 Financial Stability: Investing (stock market).

 Relationships: Treasure and support family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, and business associates.

[ZT - I have a fan!!! Yea! Yahoo! Yippee!]

In my opinion there are two kinds of people – upstream and downstream, living and not living, driving life and driven by life, doers and let done…

For the first category – balancing is in their hand. For the second category – balancing in based on their acts which happen usually itself as they are not the real drivers.

For me:

Personal Growth is Music, Books, People, Work, Entertainment, Leisure, Workouts, Sharing, Giving and taking

Giving Back is thanking Nature everyday for what it has given, donate for needy, educate poor, write on Internet, share knowledge

Health – is keeping the blood running in my arteries and veins with all body parts intact.

Financial Stability is keeping my needs 25% less than what I earn or increasing my income 25% higher than my needs.

Relationships – Earth, God, universe, Air, Nature, Water, family, friends, people

[ZT - There are also three types of people. Those who can count and those who can't. Another fan!! I hope all of my fans have joined the Success Through Balance group on LinkedIn. You can join the group here.]

I would have to say that one of the best "balancing" acts I have ever heard is from Jimmy V’s speech at the ESPN awards several years ago. He stated that in order to have a fulfilled life, you must everyday: laugh, think, and be brought to tears by an emotion. Pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?

If you want to enjoy success, plan each day. Write down each and every thing that needs to be done then focus on them.

My success is with thanks and praise to a Living God who is first and foremost in my life. I am thankful for a Christian business (www.7kfromhomeblessings.com) where we teach and mentor others in Christian principles and business ethics for a successful and abundant life. My signature has this with it: "All riches and wealth come from you; you rule everything by your strength and power; and you are able to make anyone great and strong." 1 Chronicles 29 v 12

[ZT - Balance is an important part of most faiths.I am surprised that I didn't receive more comments from more people who are people of religious faith. ]

I get on my bike and ride for an hour in the morning before I start work. It gives me some guaranteed alone time to think whatever thoughts need thinking, whether they are work- or personal-related. I find that A little physical exercise helps to de-stress and relax me before I face the day, and looking at the people, landscape, and weather as I ride puts things in perspective.

As a believer of the timeless principles which Stephen Covey expertly arranged into the 7 Habits, I begin with "the end in mind" and have a personal mission statement which is highly focused on balance. I have general statements reflecting my priorities in the important "roles" I fulfill, and explicitly call out balance as a key priority, with focus on intellectual, societal (citizenship), spiritual, physical, social, and creative aspects.

 Creating a mission statement like this can be a powerful exercise, but is of limited value if it’s not an impetus toward tangible goals and actions. All of us get "out of balance" from time to time, and some times that’s a good thing. But by focusing on the important, rather than the urgent (also a Covey concept), we find time to renew.

Balance for me looks like a ton of focus on structures — as I am naturally talented, creative, energetic… and not structured…

 I have a simple measure for each key element daily including spirit work, exercise, sleep, nutrition, client work, sales, marketing, and personal time with my wife every day. It is really simple, check the box record a percentage and talk with my coach weekly about stops on the more in depth projects.

 I have great time with my kids (2 & 3 mos.) with no structure, it just happens — time with family & friends happens periodically, and having community involvement is occasional and not a fit given where I am with the rest… So saying no to much else is part of that balance for me.

 Finally, I see that acknowledging the small but positive impact that I have in the world with each interaction (clients, prospects, people on the street) keeps me grounded and serves my balance.

 I believe is key to human beings feeling balance — that we each see and build our sense that we are contributing… and for those who can’t see how they do this (or don’t actually do it) — balance will be missing.

Starting with Professional Success: John Sestina once said “If you can’t do your job in 40 hours a week, then something is wrong.” I agree with the balance approach.

 One technique for success for me: I accepted a job in the government sector (40 hour work week) with less pay, but, more time to pursue educational endeavors, hobbies, family & spiritual commitments. My wife said to me the other day, "This is my first time, I’ve seen you barbeque in ten years."

Success is not climbing the corporate ladder and breaking up your family. Success is climbing up the corporate ladder and succeeding in business, having a happy family, positive spiritual life, etc.

If you want the opportunity to contribute to these questions as they are posted on LinkedIn or to be connected to others interested in Success – Click here to join Zale’s LinkedIn Success Questions Group.

Click here to read all the Success Stories.

Add your insights and opinions in the comments section below!

Success Stories are part of my Success Through Balance approach to life. I believe that Success comes from living a balanced life. You can read more about being successful and the skills required here.