The one thing you can do today to create balance in your life…..
I’ve been thinking a lot about balance lately. I hear about it every place I go. I hear moms complaining they don’t have time to cook healthy meals or exercise. I hear dads saying they never get to golf or sit for an afternoon and enjoy a beer with their friends. I hear kids say it when they have three hours of homework and basketball practice and all they want is an hour to sit on couch and watch tv. I hear teachers say it when they are trying to engage with their own families after a long day with everyone else’s kids.
Why is it so hard for everyone to find balance? Probably the biggest reason is that in our lives today there really is NO SUCH THING! By definition balance means “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” So, how do you divide a day or even a week into segments where every single commitment, responsibility or hobby has equal parts? You can’t. That is why it is so difficult for most of to achieve this.
So, if you can’t actually achieve balance then what is it that we are searching for? For me, I wanted to stop feeling like I was being torn in a million directions with nothing left for myself at the end of the day. I wanted to feel calm and peaceful amidst the chaos. I wanted to feel like I had some control over the yes’s and the no’s of my life.
I started researching balance. What it seemed everyone was saying is that the reason I don’t have balance is because I’m not sure what the top priorities of my life are. I say yes to volunteering for the PTO, playing on 3 tennis teams, kids signing up for two different sports each, taking an extra kid on for a week, and coaching another client when my schedule is already overloaded. I am haphazardly walking through life without a map for what is important to me. So I followed an experts advice on this topic and the results have been phenomenal. He says to sit down and close your eyes. Ask yourself the question, ‘What do I want to give my energy to this year?’ The answer came back to me immediately: my kids and my business. He says once you have your answer then only say yes to the things that enhance those 1-2 priorities of your life. So, when I got asked to volunteer at a local non-profit, it was much easier for me to say no because it didn’t align with my priorities. When I got asked to come back and teach at my kids’ school it was easier to say yes because it enhances my kids’ lives. I have weeded out everything else in my life and it’s amazing how much easier it is to feel calm amidst the inevitable chaos. Try this. See how it gives you a natural boundary for when to say yes and when to say no. Notice how much more control you feel over your life! Notice you might even feel a little more balanced!
Until Next Time,
