A lot of women choose to be independent and career-driven, with or without a significant other. Of course, this decision allows women to establish long-term goals for themselves and to seek self-growth, experience, and self-fulfillment as they work hard to pursue these goals. But once in a relationship, career-driven women should also learn to reconcile their work responsibilities with their responsibilities as a partner. You need to put just as much time and effort into your love life as you do into your work; otherwise, your partner may feel neglected and get the impression that all you care about is your career (and consequently, yourself).

Here are a few tips to remember when striving to balance your career and your relationship:


For more tips for couples, check these out:

• 30 Things for Couples to Try This Year
• Relationship Refreshers: 15 Ways to Keep the Love Alive
• Relationship Resolutions: 10 Tips to Refresh Any Romance
• 50 Things to Do for and with Your Guy This Summer and Beyond
• The Couple's Guide to Keeping the Romance Fresh In Spite of Parenthood
• The Couple's Guide to Surviving Relationship Downtime: 5 Tips for a Stronger Relationship
• Heat It Up: 10 Ways to Flirt with Your Hubby
• True Love: 8 Secrets to a Happy Marriage

For more on balancing your work and personal life, try these:

• Finding Your Balance: 5 Tips for Juggling Work and Motherhood
• 10 Tips for Parents to Achieve Work-Life Balance
• 6 Steps to Work-Life Balance
• Bye-Bye, Burnout: Schedule Your Downtime for Better Work-Life Balance
• The Best Time to Do Everything: 24 Tips for Managing Your Time Efficiently

(Originally published as "Jolina Magdangal on Giving up Her Career for Marriage + How to Balance Love and Work" on Female Network; photo by Paul Nicholson courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons)