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(Updated March 2013)
Real estate can be a 24/7 job. Learn how to balance work and family life, set up boundaries between work and home, and reconnect with your family. You'll also find out how working less can lead to greater productivity and much more.
Juggling Act: 8 Ways to Balance Your Work and Family Life
- Put your family first.
- It’s your schedule—not your clients’.
- Plan your day in advance.
- Exercise each day.
- Take vitamins and eat right
- Turn off your mobile phone from time to time.
- Team up with another practitioner in the office.
- Give yourself a daily reminder.
Source: 8 Ways to Balance Your Work and Family Life, (REALTOR® Magazine, May 2005).
Work Life
Home Offices: The New Math, (Business Week, Mar. 9, 2009).
Work Turns Flexible, (HRMagazine, Mar. 2009). Q
Married to the Job, (Time, Feb. 9, 2009).
Welcoming Wellness, (Benefits Canada, Feb. 2009). Q
Sabbatical programs aid work/life balance, (Business Insurance, Jan. 19, 2009). Q
On the track to recovery, (CA Magazine, Jan./Feb. 2009). Q
Worktime Demands and Work-Family Interference: Does Worktime Control Buffer the Adverse Effects of High Demands?, (Journal of Business Ethics, Jan. 2009). Q
Stress-busting Strategies for Busy Workdays, (Business Credit, Nov./Dec. 2008). Q
Work/Life On Hold?, (HR Magazine, Oct. 2008). Q
Focus on work/life balance = Better employee retention, (Office Solutions, Oct. 2008). Q
Work-life balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress, (MayoClinic, May 31, 2008).
Family Life
Family life, roles changing as couples seek balance, (USA Today, Apr. 18, 2009).
10 Business Strategies to Organize Your Family Life, (Real Simple).
How To Make More Family Time, (SideRoad.com).
Six Ways To Balance Work And Family Life, (Womanowned.com).
2 Important Feng Shui Tips for Better Family Life, (ArticlesBase.com, Oct. 17, 2008).
Three Ways to Balance Your Life, (ArticlesBase.com, Mar. 26, 2008).
How to Balance Work, Family and Friends, (ThirdAge, Aug. 27,2007).
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following eBooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
Beating the 24/7: How Business Leaders Achieve a Successful Work-Life Balance (Adobe eReader)
Harvard Business Review on Work and Life Balance (Adobe eReader)
The Myth of Work-Life Balance (Adobe eReader)
Scientific American: Balancing Work and Family (Adobe eReader)
Simplify Your Work Life (Adobe eReader)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Services. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Services at 800-874-6500 for assistance.
Familytime, (Chicago, IL: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, 2004). DVD008
workingmoms.calm, (Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2003). HQ 536 K38
Work to Live, (New York, NY: Berkley Publishing Group, 2003). HF 5438 R56
Conquering chaos at work, (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2000). HF 5547.15 Sch2
The Work at home balancing act: the professional resource guide for managing yourself, your work, and your family at home, (New York, NY: Avon Books, 1998). HD 2331 A2
Field Guides & More
These field guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Time Management for Real Estate Professionals
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The inclusion of links on this field guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this field guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.