ABSTRACT
Some criticize the phrase “work-life balance” because it implies a scale with work on one side and the rest of life on the other. This chapter helps us to implement the practices to achieve the balance we want. Although academics have the benefit of being able to set their own hours, they also have the challenge of work that is never completed. Work and personal tasks spill over into each other when women have too much to do in either realm. The energizing strategies help to address one of the hardest parts of sticking with major writing projects: the lack of short-term gratification. Most working parents make extensive use of carpools and playdates, and these connections provide a safety net when parents have late meetings or an unexpected snowstorm closes the schools.
