@Aubrey — here, here. i found her candor refreshing. again, i was looking for her to answer that question with cliches and she did not. she answered it directly and without hesitation. i used to work for corporate america, (GE capital) and though i was single at the time, i saw first hand how much of a grind it was for our corporate parents. they did their best, though, and i think the would have really liked what Irene had to say. thank you for your comment.

She is totally right. There is no such thing as “balance,” a word which implies a happy equilibrium. The more accurate term is the WSJ’s “juggle.” BTW, John, I disagree that it is easier for those not “wearing pinstripes.” I think it’s actually harder the lower on the socioeconomic ladder you go. Executives (full disclosure: I am one) have sick/vacation time, have benefits and generally can get much more flexibility. Granted, you have to work like a maniac if you want to get to the C-level, but you have the option of making that kind of sacrifice. You can work at night after your kids are in bed, you can hire help or maybe your husband chooses to stay home, etc. Contrast this with parents who have the kind of jobs where they get fired for missing a day of work. This has to change.

I agree that “work-life balance” is a misnomer. In fact, I like to say, “Blah Blah Balance!”

As a wife, mother of two young kids, and CEO of a growing company, I stopped seeking balance long ago, partly because I listened to women CEOs talk about balance but I knew their lives could not possibly be in the kind of balance they described.

What I pursue is a positive integration of the different aspects of my life. If at the end of a week I know (notice I did not say “feel” — I *know*) that I have accomplished the goals I set for that week, then I know that I am fulfilling my various purposes in life, and that’s all I need to continue moving forward in that direction.

I don’t look for a “feeling,” because feelings change with the moment. Instead, I look to see tangible evidence that I have achieved the things I wanted to achieve that week. If so, great. If not, I sit down and plan the next week by re-scheduling those things or letting them go.

It works for me.

@ John — no, I didn’t assume that anyone outside corporate America is of a lower socioeconomic status. I assumed when you said “pinstripes” you meant executive level. I think entry and mid level corporate workers are subject to the same impossible squeezes as their counterparts outside the corporate world. And I agree with you that the very wealthiest people are most often entrepreneurs. However, it does not follow that entrepreneurs necessarily have it better than wage slaves. While, yes, they have more freedom, if you think about the typical entrepreneur, they have no health insurance, very high costs of borrowing, and (esp in specific cases like franchisees or multilevel sales schemes) they clear very, very little income.