Is Balance A Myth?

Hey friends! I thought I’d share a few things around the thing we all want to bad – balance. Or the lack of. Or the attempt to find it. I mean, I’m trying over here but whew, it can be a major undertaking to try and balance all.the.things.

So my question is this, is balance a myth? Maybe. Or maybe it’s all about how we see it.

Sometimes it feels like a lot of tabs are open in this brain of mine and I am constantly trying to close some of them and keep myself on track. Who can relate?

Balance is something that is personal for everyone. Maybe you thrive on chaos or maybe you require a quiet space. The trick is finding the secret sauce that works for you. Guess what? We all have a different sauce recipe. Yep – you’ve got to find the ingredients that add up to your ideal sense of balance.

Some things that I am practicing (please note the term practicing) are the pivot and allowing growth along the way. I am inspired by the growth mindset and not set on a fixed mindset. Do you know the difference between the two? Growth mindset is allowing yourself to constantly grow + learn as well as allowing for the changes that might come with those shifts. It’s a much healthier mindset to adopt as it’s not rigid. A fixed mindset means that you are not allowing for changes because you are stuck on it being done one way only.

A few things that might help with achieving balance:

1. Wake up early – this is a really hard one for me as I tend to wake with the morning light and not before. Mornings are a great time to get in some extra time which will start your day off on a positive note.
2. Stay up late – perhaps you are a night owl and do your best work at night. Utilize that window if it’s the best for your productivity.
3. Time blocks – allow clocks of time for certain tasks such as responding to emails, returning phone calls, meetings, eating lunch and even exercise.
4. Shut it down – turn off the phone + computer. Allow yourself to decompress without distractions.
5. Walk away – taking a break from things or people that are difficult is OK and sometimes necessary.
6. Use apps – there are so many that can help you manage your workload. Click here for a few that are getting rave reviews.
7. Exercise – physical activity can help you get out the wiggles and be more productive. The connection between the body and mind is a strong one.
8. Have fun – we all need to incorporate a little fun into our lives. Sometimes this is planned and other times, we need to allow spontaneity to pop up and just say yes.
9. Say yes – to help! Sometimes we can get so overloaded and it’s easy to think we can and will do it all but allowing for some assistance is totally OK.
10. Say no – I’ve gotten really good at taking a hard pass on things that cause me too much stress. Trying new things is one thing, saying no to something that you know will do nothing more than fill you with anxiety is not worth it.
11. Pick your battles – there will be days where trying to achieve it all won’t be possible. Maybe today is not the day where you can clean the house, etc. It’s OK. Let it go.
12. Practice gratitude – remember that life is a wild ride and some days that can feel overwhelming. Allow yourself to feel gratitude for the good things happening in your life.
13. Simplify – in all the places. Have less in your home, use a capsule wardrobe, do a meal or grocery delivery service. There are so many shortcuts that you can use to make life easier.

Basically, we are all super heroes with our own super powers. Focus on what can do, not what you can’t.

I’m pretty sure that you are doing GREAT!