Putting your career on the fast track doesn’t mean you have to leave your personal life behind. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to put in the time and commitment a successful career requires, while not logging extensive work hours or putting your family or friends on the backburner.

Many workers believe that in order to quickly climb the career ladder they must work around the clock, always putting their job above everything else. Unfortunately, this approach will often result in high stress and job burnout. Here are a few strategies that can help you attain success in your career and personal life:

• Make the most of your best working time.
  Identify when you feel you are the most productive during the day. In other words, are you a morning person or a night person? If you generally get the most work done during the morning hours, make sure you use this time to focus solely on completing tasks. Don’t stop periodically to check email, figure out what to do for lunch, or listen to voicemail. Instead, dedicate your most productive period during the day to accomplishing as much as possible.

There is plenty of time left in the workday to tackle other responsibilities that may not require so much brainpower or energy. If your employer offers flexible schedules and you begin to feel drained and unproductive, leave. That time can be better spent taking care of personal responsibilities or enjoying family.

• Take Advantage of Down Time.
  Have a long commute? Use this typically unproductive period of time and use it to your advantage. If you’re on a train or bus, dedicate the commute to answering emails or reviewing documents. If you’re driving, use a hands-free device and conduct conference calls while on the road, or learn new skills through audio classes.
• Streamline Your To-Do List - at Home and at the Office.
  Speeding through life at warp speed won’t get you ahead - it will just wear you down. Make sure you’re not overscheduled at work, with too many meetings and not enough time to implement initiatives. Same goes with your personal calendar. Leave room for down time with friends and family. Look for ways to consolidate or eliminate job tasks that are of little or no value, or that are an inefficient use of your time.
• Ask for Support from Colleagues.
  Minimize distractions, such as impromptu conversations or instant messages, from coworkers. Remember, they may not have the same personal or family obligations as you, and these interruptions can put a damper on your productivity. That doesn’t mean you have to eliminate the social or fun aspect to your workday – just ensure they aren’t excessive.

Just remember, when it comes to getting ahead, more is not always better. Working smarter will help build the career you strive for and provide enough personal time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.