It’s a quest as old as¯well, it’s pretty old. As Adam reportedly said to Eve, "My dear, we live in a time of transition." Little did Eve know just how difficult that transition was going to be. Women today, and a growing number of men also, continue the struggle to balance the pressures of the business world while still finding time for family, friends, and perhaps even themselves.

One woman who knows the challenges of this balancing act very well is Diana Bing, director of Enterprise Learning at IBM. It’s her job to come up with the career development strategy for the company.

Women of Color magazine recently asked her to share some of what she has learned during her 29-year career with IBM. The first thing she told us is that perfect balance is an unrealistic goal.

"There is no such thing as balance," she says. "I can count on my fingers the times when things have been in perfect balance. Balancing life and work is a matter of prioritizing what is important and what needs to get done," she believes. "Sometimes work wins and sometimes other things win."

She tries to find some degree of balance by asking herself what is important and how her priorities fit with her values. "If I am feeling stressed, this means I am not in line with my values. When things are out of balance, it is time to reevaluate priorities in order to regain a sense of control, " she says, admitting, "Usually work wins."

She is an ardent list-maker and planner, keeping all work and personal appointments in one place. "I look at the next day’s calendar each night and envision what I want to accomplish that day," she tells us.

<subhed>Flexible Work Environment

The workplace has changed, Bing believes, to better accommodate the balancing needs of employees. She says, "We are more tolerant of flexible schedules today. After all, we hire people to be professionals, and we expect them to have drive and commitment to the company."

This flexibility has resulted in extended work days, she notes, saying, "I often receive e-mails from employees after dinner or when the kids are in bed."

She advises other women to determine what works best for them and trust that it will all work out. She says, "If you need permission, present your request in a way that demonstrates the value to the company as well as to yourself. Most organizations want to keep good people."

In the final analysis, Bing suggests, each employee must establish her own definition of balance. "Know thyself," she says. "Continue to be clear about what is important. Know when you are out of balance."

While finding the ideal balance between the pressures of work and the stresses of family life may be an ongoing, imperfect challenge, Diana Bing wants women to be confident that they are up to the task. "Your voice is important, and you can be confident that you can do it."