Why women should stop trying to "have it all"

Focus on your priorities--and rethink them as your life evolves! As former head of HR for a 'Fortune 100 Best Places to Work Company' that was on the list every year from 1998 to 2006, I quickly grew to greatly dislike the popular phrase 'work-life balance'. So we banned it from our HR vocabulary! Instead, we focused on helping our employees 'Embrace' their work/life priorities, and encouraged them to re-evaluate those priorities as their circumstances changed. 'Balance' implies you can have it all. 'Embrace' returns control to the individual and his/her family and support network. An added benefit is that this eliminates a great deal of the guilt associated with trying to 'have it all'. But don't keep those priorities a secret--share them with your family, your boss, your co-workers, and anyone else that is important to you. Then they usually will understand why you've say yes or no or later to 'opportunities' that arise.

Well said Jacqueline :)

I agree with this up to the point where it says women specifically cannot "have it all," when indeed no one person, man or woman, can be perfect. I think this article should be titled better so not to imply that men can have it all while women cannot for "biological reasons."

"Having it all" is different than "Being Perfect". A lot different.. It is all about choices. Our perception of "Being Perfect" is sometimes a product of our upbringing and unreasonable expectations being set by others. "Having it all" is a very personal place in our psyche , the totality of our mind, conscious, and unconscious. Achieving our goals is something we are all entitled to, no matter our gender or circumstances. "Being Perfect", on the other hand, is not personal but, in many cases, pushed upon us by others (eg.Teachers, parents, husbands, coworkers, bosses, acquaintances, etc.)

Both men & women can "have it all" based on setting their personal priorities and architecting their lives to keep those priorities where they belong. It is not about being perfect, it is about being happy and fulfilled.