What do we mean when we talk about work-life balance? Usually a feeling that things are off-kilter between career and the other domains in life, particularly family time. Many of us face what the research calls a "time bind" caused by the simultaneous time and energy demands of family life and the workplace,

Americans are working longer hours. In dual-income homes, both spouses are pressed by choices between family, career, self-care and personal fulfillment. Not always, but often, women become default chore-doers and child-tenders, even in relationships that strive for equality.

The quest for balance often begins when people reach a point of being completely overwhelmed. They're frazzled, stressed and have reached a tipping point. Or, they're doing OK, but not really advancing coupled with a lack of focus about direction. While the first type experiences life as a whirlwind, the second is in more of a rut, trudging along, feeling like the song, "Is that all there is?"