It's one thing to set ambitious SMART career goals that span months or years aimed at landing your dream job. But what about effectively balancing the demands of work and life each day? Applying the SMART framework to your daily intentions can be surprisingly powerful for creating more work-life bliss.

Rather than vague hopes that you'll “find more balance” or unrealistic expectations to suddenly work less, set pointed SMART goals that integrate fulfilling professional and personal pursuits into your regular routine.

For example, daily SMART goals could include:

• Complete proposal draft by 11am to allow ample time fortaking my daughter to ballet at 4pm.
• Schedule 20 minutes between meetings for walk around the park to ensure movement rather than back-to-back calls.
• Coordinate bi-monthly Friday dinner with close friends by calendar planning the dates/locations one month out.

Even with high workload and ambition, disciplined daily SMART goals build in space for health, family and relationships alongside career—ultimately reducing stress through purposeful planning vs wishful thinking.

Beyond daily work-life balance, applying the SMART model to personal finance, health objectives, relationship commitments, hobby growth, and parenting intentions also bears fruit when the bigger picture seems overwhelming otherwise.

Here is a step-by-step process on setting daily SMART goals for work-life balance:

1. Identify Your Top Priorities First, get clear on the 2-3 aspects of life most important for balance and wellbeing, like health, family time or hobbies.
2. Break Them Into Daily Tasks Think through specific actions you can take daily that align to those key priorities even during busy weeks, like an evening walk or afternoon craft time.
3. Define The SMART Criteria Outline the Specific details of each daily goal, how you will Measure completion, assess if it is Achievable day-to-day, ensure it is Relevant to identified priorities, and determine the best Time you can complete it by.
4. Schedule SMART Goals Into Your Calendar Literally block time daily or several times a week on your calendar for priority SMART goals, just as you would any work task or appointment. Treat them as set meetings with yourself.
5. Attach Accountability Mechanisms Ask a friend to check in on completion of your SMART goals, use a tracking app for reminders, or tie financial incentives to achievement if helpful.
6. Review and Refresh Goals Weekly Each week, celebrate completed SMART goals in priority areas. Evaluate what worked well or was too ambitious given the week's demands. Adjust and restart with refined daily goals.

The key is realizing work-life balance is forged through deliberate daily choices, not broad complaints about stress or lack of time. With discipline around applying SMART criteria to key priorities and safeguarding them in schedules, bliss naturally builds over months, weeks, and days.