Having to manage the ups and downs of bipolar disorder needn't prevent you from leading a successful career. Sure it can be difficult at times, but plenty of bipolar sufferers, many of them well-known, have risen to the top of their fields and lead rich and rewarding lives. People such as former British prime-minister Winston Churchill, US media giant Ted Turner, bestselling novelist Patricia Cornwell, and actor, writer and director Ben Stiller have all built successful careers despite personal battles with bipolar disorder. Succeeding in your career despite bipolar is about being prepared for its inevitable ups and downs and not losing sight of your goals and dreams.

By being organised, setting goals, maintaining a positive, healthy lifestyle, and calling on your support network when you need to, you can achieve greater control over your illness and maintain the focus necessary for leading a successful career.

Being organised is crucial to achieving that all-important balance between life and work. Planning out your days, weeks and months into routines of regular but varied activities enables you to stay on top of things at work and at home. Organisation can also be an invaluable tool when it comes to dealing with stress effectively. For example, being aware of deadlines means you can complete assigned tasks efficiently in the allocated time and thereby avoid feeling overwhelmed by what's on your plate. Sticking to simple routines like getting up and going to bed at the same time each day, exercising and socialising regularly, eating healthy meals at regular intervals, and following your medication plan can all help get you into a life-rhythm that's both energising and motivating. Organisation is also vital when it comes to setting and achieving personal and career goals.

Goals are crucial when it comes to leading a successful career and effectively managing bipolar disorder. Establishing work, life and bipolar goals can assist you in gaining more control over your life and help you to experience less interference from your condition. The key to goal setting is to set goals that are challenging yet realistic. To help you achieve your goals you can break bigger goals down into short, middle and long term goals. For example, a short term career-related goal might be to complete the project you're working on successfully by the due date. The long term goal might be a promotion. A mid-range personal goal, related to your health and fitness, might be to complete a 10 kilometre run in 6 months time. The bigger goal might be to complete a half-marathon in a year's time.

You can also apply goal setting to the management of bipolar. For example, a long term bipolar-related goal might be to stick to your daily diet, exercise and medication schedule and to get a good report from you doctor. A short term bipolar goal might be to do half an hour's exercise each day. Writing your goals down, in a diary or on a calendar, and referring to them regularly is a practical and effective way to keep you focused on achieving them.

An important but commonly overlooked factor in leading a successful career and managing bipolar effectively is the support of friends and family. Sometimes, in order to remain organised and goal-focused, it's necessary to call on your support network for assistance. Learn to recognise the signs associated with the onset of dark times and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Have a plan in place for how you're going to handle things during such times, make a list of people you can call on for assistance - people who know you and understand what's going on - and keep in regular contact with your healthcare professional.

By being organised and goal-focused, bipolar disorder needn't interfere with your efforts to lead a successful, rewarding career. Having a successful career and effectively managing your bipolar is about organising your work and personal time around your goals. Together with determination and the support of friends and family, you can lead a successful career and a positive, rich and rewarding life.