I often hear people talk about work-life balance. If we take the word balance literally, it would mean equal, and it would suggest equal time spent at work and in our personal activities. As work becomes less traditional and many offices even become virtual, I believe we are looking at work-life integration rather than balance.

For many, the workday does not end when you leave the office. In fact, you may not go into an office at all anymore. The nine-to-five workday at a physical office is becoming a thing of the past for many organizations. People are working in remote workspaces or at home, working in shifts and even working in different time zones. Leaders who have virtual teams will often work a full day in an office and then jump on a call later in the evening when their teams in other locations are working.

In these situations, we need to find alternate times to spend with family, exercising, resting and enjoying other activities. The end of the day may not exist as it did years ago.

So, how can we integrate our work and personal lives in order to achieve our personal and professional goals?

Plan the week.

The need to plan out activities is extremely important. Whether this is a calendar on the wall, on a computer or in an app, we need to plan our personal time as well as our working time. If you work in a role where you need to be available in the evenings as well as during the day, plan the times you will take for yourself, and stick to appointments with yourself or family and friends.

It may be that you take time to attend a sporting event for your child and then head back into work mode later in the day. I know many executives who do just that. They plan time away from the office during the workday to attend their children’s school events, and then they return to work later. I understand that this may not work for everyone, but it’s important to ask yourself how you will make time for the things that matter. How will you plan quality time with family or take time to workout and focus on your health?