Five ways to find a balance between career goals and your love life

It can be hard to achieve the appropriate balance between relationship and work — sometimes it’s nearly herculean.

A school of thought even believes that there’s no such thing as ‘work-life balance’.

However, having a strong relationship doesn’t mean your work and career goals have to suffer. It’s quite the opposite.

Here are steps towards achieving a proper balance while juggling both.

Forgive and apologise

In a world of career uncertainty, relationships can minimise or ease off stress.

Don’t make things more difficult by holding grudges. Communicate often with your partner; show compassion when they are in a bad mood and celebrate their good ones. A successful relationship is often the first step toward a successful career.

Balance sacrifices

If one or both of you want to pursue a high-profile career, it’s almost a guarantee that sacrifices will have to be made. Accept and acknowledge the importance of your partner’s sacrifice to further your career and be willing to do the same for their dreams in the future.

Set boundaries

Whether do you each leave the office or how often you work from home? Make sure you communicate and set clear expectations about how your careers will eat into your life. Career-oriented couples often enjoy working, but setting boundaries allows you to also enjoy each other.

Show unconditional support

It can be difficult to show interest in your spouse’s career after a long day at work. But without such interest, your partner can start to feel unloved, and consequently, it can breed resentment. Showing support no matter how little goes a long way.

Love the person, not their title

Many fall in love over material attributes such as titles, position, standing in the society, etc. For the health of your relationship, make sure you fall in love with your partner as a person, and not with their title or position. In today’s economy, nothing is certain and compatibility is no longer based on whether or not the other person can take care of you.

Instead, know that you can take care of yourself, and decide if you still want your partner around.

Decision-making is a two-way street

You must consider and consult each other in whatever decisions you make. No matter how headstrong your personality is, know that the consequences of your decisions, or lack of, affect each other.