1. Work out what work/life balance means to you

One person's ideal balance could be another person's idea of hell. 'Work/life balance' is a very personal thing. To be able to achieve a work life balance you first need to understand what that means to you. Does it mean not working at weekends? Does it mean, for example, leaving work on time and spending a couple of evenings at the gym?

2. Assess how 'balanced' you are

Inevitably achieving a better work/life balance means making sustainable changes in your life. Unless you are aware of where (or how) your life is not in balance, you wouldn'tbe able to make the changes.

3. Identify what is stopping you from achieving your ideal work/life balance

There is no point in setting goals and putting in place action plans to achieve your ideal work/life balance if you don't know what is stopping you from achieving your ideal work/life balance. For example, it may be as simple as you switching off your work mobile phone when you leave the office, so you can't be disturbed by work calls in the evening.

4. Change your job or working environment

Typically the first 90 days in a new role sets the pattern of how and when you are going to work. It may sound a little melodramatic, but often the only way of improving your work/life balance is to change your job or working environment. For example, 12+ working hours per day are quite common in big city law firms! If you have a long commute into the office, have you thought about asking to work from home one or two days a week? Another option is to think about compressing your hours, so that you can minimise your overall commuting time.

5. Work with a coach

A coach will help to keep you to your good intentions. They will also help you improve your self awareness to understand what is getting in the way of you achieving the work/life balance you crave -and then help you put together simple actions to achieve your goals.

6. Make goals and tell people about them

The more visible your goals, and the more you tell people about them, the more likely you are to achieve your goals. Remember to word your work-life balance goals in terms of the actions you have decided upon to achieve your output. For example, 'leave the office by 6 p.m. at least three times a week.'

7. Prioritize and delegate

As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Prioritizing your to-do list will help you get the important tasks done and prevent you working long hours. It goes without saying that effective delegation will help you work less hours in the day.

8. Get better at saying 'no'

Do you find that you always want to be helpful, and find it difficult to say 'no' to people? You may find that by getting better at saying 'no' to people, you may find that you have less to get through at work and at home.

9. Plan stress-busting activities (AND put it in your schedule)

Great work/life balance is not all about working less hours, it's also about what you do with your time outside of work. Make sure that you plan activities which help you recharge your batteries, de-stress and relax. Write them in your schedule (agenda, calendar, diary, etc.) to remember that your fun activities are important, too.

10. Divide big goals into small goals and set realistic timelines

Rome was definitely not built in a day. When setting yourself a goal it can be tempting to try and achieve it immediately. Resist this temptation. Break the goal into smaller chunks and milestones and set realistic timelines for the milestones. As a small business owner you are generally responsible for driving the pace of your business. Therefore, if you are finding that the pace of the business is too much, then take your foot off the pedal.

11. Ask clients when they need a piece of work

Many of us assume that a client wants something done immediately,  when there may actually be a reasonable lead time for the work to be completed. Always ask your client when they need the work completed by!

12. Set up an end-of-day routine

If you set up an 'end-of-day' routine, it can help your brain mentally switch off from work. You may find it useful to write yourself a 'to-do' list for the next day.

13. Turn off work e-mails and phones in your non-work time

E-mail, blackberries, mobile phones can all interrupt your non-work time, and then suck you into doing work on your weekend or holiday time. Set the expectation with co-workers that you don't check your e-mails or answer your mobile phone in the evenings or weekends. (Editor's Note: check out Chris Green's article for what happens when you don't turn off your phone!)

14. Block out times in your schedule when you are unavailable

Particularly if your schedule (agenda, calendar, diary, etc.) is open for all to access, make sure you block out the times when you are unavailable for work. Psychologically, it also makes it harder for you to book stuff in these times.

15. Plan evening activities which take you away from work

One owner of an accountancy practice had activities planned in every evening, which meant that he couldn't work late into the evening. This approach may not work for you, but how about promising to do bath time with your children once or twice a week?

16. Split the household chores between all occupants

Gaining a good work/life balance means having time to re-charge your batteries. If you are coming home and then needing to be Cinderella, cook, cleaner and general dogsbody, then you may not get the right quality of work/life balance that you need. The more that you can share household responsibilities (or use the services of a cleaner or housekeeper), the more time that you will have to enjoy yourself when not working.