It’s no secret that I believe in balance but when it comes to work-life balance I believe we’ve been focusing on the wrong thing.
So many books and blogs have been written about how to achieve work-life balance. The problem is, we’ve been looking at work and life as two entities; separate, distinct and totally disconnected from one another. When we do that, it becomes very difficult to create a balance between the two.
The first step in achieving balance in our work and life is to see our work and life as one entity. The key is to integrate and align both based on our values and what’s most important to us.
Once we reconcile that the two are actually one, we can begin to make choices that bring more harmony and balance to our lives.
As we move through our day, doing our best to juggle, there are many things can throw us off-balance. When we’re off-balance we experience burn-out, overwhelm, anxiety, exhaustion, frustration and on and on.
Here are some things that can throw us off balance:
Comparing yourself to others. When we compare ourselves to others, we move away from who we are and what makes us unique. Watching others to get ideas is good but comparing and trying to duplicate what they’re doing never works. Be yourself.
Worrying what others think. Others aren’t worried about what you think so stop worrying about what they think. It will cause you to make choices that go against what’s right for you.
Always trying to please everyone. It’s simply not possible to please all the people all the time. Doing so just sets you up for failure and disappointment. Stay focused on making choices that resonate with your heart.
Over-doing it. Too much of anything (food, work, exercise, alcohol, shopping etc.) isn’t good and numbs us from accessing what’s really important.
Never saying NO. Saying yes all the time creates over-commitment which leads to stress, disappointment, and frustration.
Making choices based on fear. Fear of loss, fear of rejection, of not being enough, doing enough or having enough holds us back from doing the things that make us happy.
Balance is an important component of living a healthy life and of having the kind of life we want and deserve.
Here are 6 ways you can achieve balance in your life:
Stay focused and present. Our text messages, phone calls, and notifications will rule our lives if we let them. Whatever you’re doing or whomever you’re with, stay focused and present. You’ll experience more connection, feel more joy and you’ll be able to accomplish more.
Leave room for error. This is a big one because by and large no matter how prepared you might be something always comes up. When it does, and it will, you’ll have the space to deal with it and find a solution with a calm head.Â
Be flexible. When something doesn’t go your way, don’t get caught up in the drama of why or why not or right and wrong.  Let it go, re-adjust, and move forward.
Set boundaries. Setting boundaries is the single best way to protect your time. Allow some things to be off-limits and non-negotiable. Set hours you’re available during the day, vacations, time off, etc.Â
Say no. Don’t let fear force you into saying yes to things you don’t want to do. Say no so that you can say yes to the things that matter.
Do the things you don’t want to do. Courtney Carver, author of the book, Soulful Simplicity said this best. Doing the things you don’t want to do will give you the things and the life you want. Get 7-9 hours of sleep, get up early, exercise, eat lots of leafy greens, and don’t procrastinate. Â
Recently I challenged a group to find one way to bring balance into their lives each day, and I’d like to challenge you too.
Send me an email at Christine@BelieveInBalance.net. Don’t be afraid, I’d love to hear from you, and I’d love to know how it’s working.
As always, if you enjoyed this post and if you have a friend who you’d think would like to join you in your challenge, send them this post and encourage them to give it a try.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay