You at Work and You at Home: Who Are You Anyway? By Sandi Epstein Ever had the existential feeling of "who am I?" while reaching into your purse for a pen in the middle of an important meeting and coming up with a baby nipple, a Pokeman card and some used chewed gum? This experience may not always trigger such profound questions for you, but it can pose important questions about establishing our sense of self. Integrity Ever seen someone instruct their child not to lie or steal and then walk out of their office with company materials or strike a deal they know isn't fair, but makes their side the winner? It is worth thinking about what we teach our children and what we do ourselves. Far too many people think all is fair in the workplace and a different set of values takes hold at home. It is important to find consistency in values at home and at work. With every breach of "integrity" or consistency with your values you will feel the stress. Priorities What are your priorities? It is hard to remember when the demands of work and home overwhelm you in their demand for immediate attention. However, it is important to know what comes first in your life. Too many of us run from work to home trying to fulfill everyone's expectations without assessing those expectations for ourselves. What this means is take time out for your own planning (your company probably does). Articulate what objectives at home and at work are most important and be sure to plan for those first. Purpose Like priorities, the big idea of our own purpose in life can get lost in the day-to-day details. Is work all about making the money or is it more? Is being a parent about getting your children to school every day or about creating people? Why are you here and what are you doing about it? If you haven't figured the answer to that question, perhaps you could spend some time on the way to grocery store thinking about it. For more ideas on how to figure out balance in your life see some of Sandi's previous articles: • Ten steps for finding balance • Simplify your life to focus on what you care about • What does a working mom need? Support and a road to getting it • Find joy not stress in the balancing act • Ask the Work/Life Coach • More articles about work and family balance Sandi is a professional coach helping people to achieve their best in life. You can email her at SLSE123@aol.com or visit her Web site at WorkandLifeCoach.com/