Goal setting is not only about the goals but also about what the person expects to get from these goals, the road he or she imagines on their way to these desired goals, and the force in which they imagine getting there.

Expectations are not only important, they are critical for one to achieve the goals he set out for himself, the can be the driving force behind a person with clear and set goals and, on the other hand, may turn out to be the discouraging and breaking elements behind the same person.

The first thing to remember that in goal setting the goals as are the expectations are yours, you will need to ask yourself the basic questions, what is it that you expect to get from a more balanced life? Is it more free time? closer relationship with your spouse, partner or significant other? more time to pursue an advanced degree? Maybe you want to take some hobby or learn something new? Any or all of these things are great goals, but your expectation to achieve balance must take into consideration that some of these goals will take more time away from your family. Its pretty simple when you think of it, investing some time in one thing will ultimately take up time from another. The basic thing you have to do is to be very clear about your goals and about your expectations. What does balance mean for you? Is it more time for yourself? Do you dream of more time for your family? Don't make a promise to get more work/life balance and then squander that balance with poor planning. This kind of approach will leave you in a worst condition than what you have started at.

Keeping expectations realistic is an important thing, do not let your own ambition and expectation create a barrier for you in the future, be very cleat about what do you expect to achieve and how will this balance change your life. Ask yourself if your expectations are realistic for the planned timeframe and actions you want to take or are you dreams too large, sometimes we can create a perfect picture in our mind that is unreachable in the time frame we set, it is better for you to have realistic targets you can reach. Once you have your own expectations under control, you'll need to look to your employer and your family and friends to be sure that you understand and can meet their expectations. If you have your own family you will need to listen to what they want too. It is all well and good that you expect to regain some balance in your life but if you need to fill in a huge hour quota at work you will have great difficulties to achieve your goals, it is always best to realistically examine the situation, and if need be, talk to your employer and ask to change your working patterns to allow you with more space for balanced life.

Try and make sure that the people around you know and understand your reasons for better balanced life and ask for their support and encouragement, this can include you wife, children, parents, and even your boss. Once you get the plan right, you can move forward more quickly and succeed in you better work life balance.