Motherhood. Family life. School. Relationships. Health and wellness. Home Maintenance. Marriage. Day job. Side Hustle. Night Job. Self Care. Volunteering. Hobbies. Free time. Travel. PTA. Church. Weddings. Funerals. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Appointments out the wazzoo.
And….everything else in life at large.
That’s a lotta stuff to handle. All. the. time.
A lot to… balance…. if you will. 🙂
Balance is a tricky word. We’re given such a narrow window of what it’s “supposed” to look like, aren’t we? When you pull images of balance you see equal scales, you see people spinning multiple plates equally at once, ballerinas on pointe, evenly stacked piles of stones, and other similar imagery.
Balance does not mean Equal
Please don’t judge yourself or your level of balance by how equally you’re spending your time in each life area.
Release that and free yourself from that narrow “ideal.”
If you feel off balance, you simply have to reset your definitions and act accordingly.
Balance is similar to success, in that you have to define it for yourself.
Decide what it means to you, and let that be how you measure it.
If you’re outchea thinking balance means spending equal amounts of time each day on each of the various areas of your life… then… you’re setting yourself up for failure, shame spirals and disappointment. You can take your scale and go the hell on.
Time to redefine balance.
Think about what you want balance to mean to you. What does YOUR balanced life look like? How much time do YOU spend each day, week, month, year, on each area of your life?
Tip: You don’t have to do every single thing every single day.
My Balance Strategy:
I like to work in quarters/months for some areas: giving back, travel/outdoor adventures, extended family visits, financial planning, home improvement.
Weekly in others: quality time with John, funtime/lazytime, business pursuits, creativity, home-making, self care, personal development, friendships.
Daily in the rest: quality time with kids, work, spirituality, fitness,
For me, my life is balanced if I satisfy these various life areas within the respective time frames. It works with my priorities because my daily #1 is Roey and Kaya.
What is it for you?
Balance is fluid.
Meaning, if something pops up (an emergency or event, or the holidays) you can pour your energy in different areas temporarily, and then get back to your “normal” balance once those events are over. (Example: jobhunting, home renovations, travel, etc)
Balance is about being realistic and honest.
It would be lovely to give everything the same amount of attention… but that’s not feasible. When life happens, certain areas take on more weight than others. Example: When I’m on a deadline with a writing project for a client I will prioritize it above reading for personal development for that day or week.
Be honest with yourself about what you value, what you want to include in your life and what you want to release. Be realistic about your priorities and it’ll be easier to create your definition of balance and have your life reflect it.
How do YOU define balance?
Ugh this is perfect timing for me! I was still trying to do it all and feeling terrible when I couldn’t. I plan on making a list during lunch of things to focus on and sticking with it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
So needed! I’m over here strugglin’!!!
I love the balance strategy that you use…great tips!
Balance is being realistic and honest is my favorite! Thanks for the tips, I think we all could use more balanced in our lives.
I love how you have come up with the idea that balance is not equality. Most people perceive it that way. I strive for balance in my life, and this quest has taken my life in diverse ways. for me, balance is spending my time between productivity and enjoyment.