Creating Balance

How many times have you thought, “I just want to find balance!” We feel overwhelmed by certain parts of our life and feel wobbly. Something isn’t quite right. Maybe you find yourself snapping at everyone around you. Maybe you are missing deadlines. Maybe you’re not feeling satisfied with things you typically would. Our society encourages us to do more, be more, and say yes to everything. You must be superwoman working at the amazing job while also being a rockstar mom, and not forgetting about being a loving partner and keeping a perfectly neat house. Phew. That’s a lot. 

If only you could find balance!

First, it’s helpful to understand where you are feeling out of balance. Some people know right away, “Work. I am spending too much time working and don’t ever leave my desk at home.” Or maybe you know it’s work, but can't pinpoint the exact reason. Others aren’t sure what’s causing the imbalance and need some support exploring. I love using the Wheel of Life to examine parts of your life to better understand where you may feel out of balance.

Once you know what’s causing you to feel so wobbly, you can think about what you want instead. Do you want to feel clear and confident? Do you want to feel at peace? Do you want to feel centered? Think about the desired end state. What does balance look like for you? For me, it changes over time depending on the phase of life I’m in (my career, kids’ ages, pandemic or not…).

Many people I talk to feel that work is pulling so hard that you barely have time for family or any personal interests. When working with a group of corporate clients last week, many people felt like their health and fitness needs attention. This team felt like they are working long hours and don’t have space between work and the rest of life right now.

So how can you find balance? Finding balance can be hard so instead, I focus on creating it. It’s not a “one and done” situation where you find the thing that makes you balanced and you are done. It’s a daily practice working towards what makes you feel whole and fulfilled. Not every day may feel balanced, but if you are dedicated to the pursuit then you will get closer.

What can you create today that would make you feel more centered? For the corporate group mentioned earlier, counting walking steps was a clear action to take that would help them get closer to getting away from their desks to focus on physical activity and therefore feeling more balanced. Make your goal as tangible as possible. This group is using an app to share their step counts and I’m excited to join in the challenge. I realized that I, too, am not getting enough movement in and more physical activity would make me feel balanced. Not only would I get more physical movement, but I can connect with friends if I walk with a buddy or learn something new if listening to a podcast. (I will be aiming for 8k steps but if you want to read the fascinating story behind where 10k steps came from, read here.)

Next, find an accountability partner for whatever your balance goal is. Tell your accountability partner what you are doing to create more balance in your life and what they can do to help you. (I’m happy to be your buddy – email me or message me on social media!)

And let’s track your progress. Each day, think about that one step you are doing to create more balance in your life.