For high-achievers, striving to be the best is part of the job description.
Pushing your limits can be exhilarating, accomplishing things youve set your sights on can be motivating.
This post originally appeared onThe Muse.
If your careers important to you, you also know that making your dreams a reality requires sacrifice.
Trading quality time with loved ones for long hours at the office becomes the norm.
Finding the rightwork-life balanceis a struggle that every ambitious person faces.
Gone are the weekly happy hours, trips back home, phone calls with buddies.
How then do you handle this catch-22 of ambition and rally your support system to get through busy periods?
Addressing the situation directly is the best way to deal with these conflicting priorities.
Here are three ways to secure your relationships and keep your career and personal life on track.
Why dont you try yoga?).
Are they even listening?
Do they not know how urgent work is right now?
Thats much more effective than griping about how no ones helping out around here.
The key toasserting boundariesis to do so firmly, but compassionately.
Boundaries become all the more significant if youre going to be working from home.
You suggest a comedy.
You fly into a rage.
How dare she disregard your suggestion!
Why do you always have to watch what she wants?
But, waitwhy are you getting so worked up over a TV show?
Whats really at play here is a defense mechanism called displacement.
It gets triggered when we venture to deal with stress.
Displacement can happen when youre not channeling stress in other healthy, constructive ways.
Will bringing this up now benefit me and the relationship?
How would I react if they said the same to me?
Your word is important in your personal life just as it is at the office.
Dont neglect the importance personal relationships have on your long-term emotional health and well-being.
Busy periods are inevitable, but theyre most often temporary.
Managing them correctly will ensure that you stay balanced.
Ambition does not have to lead to loneliness.
Image byHoyou(Shutterstock).
