Carrying the `double burden' of juggling a family and a job with different schedules, how can women achieve a favourable life situtation in the face of such conflicting demands? Battles for time arise through the complexities and expectations of everyday life, which is why it is important to find a way of consciously and effectively managing one's time. Working from an empirical investigation into the `conduct of everyday life' of women and men in different systems of work time, the author highlights differences between the social construct `feminine time' as `time for others' and the empirical time experiences of women. She considers to what extent it is justifiable to speak of `women's' experiences of time when these differ greatly according to age, profession, class, family status and cultural background. In conclusion, some patterns of dealing with time are outlined and some `conditions for success' identified.