Balance: a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. Balancing act: an attempt to handle or deal with two or more things (such as obligations) at one time so as to satisfy often competing requirements.
Many people consider balance to be all about work/life choices. Many of my clients spend a whole lot of time at work and working when they’re not at work. Does that mean their life is out of balance? Well, that depends. Choosing how you spend your time is the key to creating balance in your life.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- What does balance mean to you (not what it means to others)?
- Is how you spend your time the way you want your life to look?
- Are you clear on your work and personal goals?
- How can you take steps to get to where you want if you don’t know where that is?
- Do you waste time on unproductive activities such as looking for misplaced items or constantly checking your phone?
- Would you rather work towards a goal or two and achieve something important or get to the end of your life without accomplishing anything meaningful to you?
“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.”
Denis Waitely
If you don’t know what your goals are, you can’t determine your priorities. Then you may have no idea how to make a good decision about using your time. Without goals, you are likely spending your time wherever you feel the most pressure. Urgent often takes precedence over importance. It’s really up to you to manage this balancing act.
It doesn’t matter what type of balance you want; it only matters that you plan to get there. Everyone is different, and we all want something unique in our life. Give yourself the time you deserve to work towards your personal and professional goals. Remember, it is not selfish to prioritize making time for yourself. Time is all you have, and you only get one life.
How do you want to spend your time today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this year and next year? Drop me a line to let me know.