Have you ever said this or some version of this? “I just want to find a better balance in my life.” Maybe you’re looking for a balance between your work and home life? Maybe you’re looking for a balance in your diet or exercise habits? Maybe you’re searching for that ideal balance of being a part of your family, while also honoring your own individual needs? I think this is common. In fact, I think most people are searching for some sort of better balance in their lives overall.
Here’s one of the issues I have with this “finding a better balance” thing though - where in the hell are you expecting to come across this thing called balance? Do you expect you might just bump into it one day and know it when you see it? Do you think it’s hiding under your bed and will just become glaringly obvious to you when you finally dig it out from under there? Do you think it’s just lying on some street corner waiting for you to walk by and pick it up?
Why do we feel that we have to be passive in finding a balance? I believe that we don’t - in fact if a balance is what we believe we need more of in our life, then what would happen if we created it? What if we looked at those parts of our life that seem out of wack and did something about it? What if you took control and made a change? I know it’s a simple concept but like so many other things in life, simple does not equal easy. But it doesn’t make it impossible either.
For example, at one time in my life I was spending a lot of time on the road going between different locations that I was working out of. I was often rushing out of one place and to the next, always feeling late and in a hurry and all the while trying to screen emails or last minute reminders via my phone on the way. It felt like a rollercoaster, which I hate by the way. At that time I couldn’t just completely change that I was working in several locations, but I could do something about this frantic, overwhelming drive from one place to the other. So I started leaving my cell phone in the back seat. I stopped trying to multitask as red lights. I drove in silence; sometimes to music. I paid attention to the day, the weather, the clouds in the sky during my drive. And you know what, it made a huge difference. It didn’t change everything about my day, but it did allow me to arrive at the next place without feeling dizzy, confused and overwhelmed as to what I was walking into. Most importantly, it was something in my control and it helped.
I’m wondering in your own life right now if there’s a place that you are feeling overwhelmed or that things are slightly out of balance for you. If so, I’m wondering what you can do about it. What small but meaningful action can you take, that is completely within your control, that can help you feel more like you want to be feeling? Where can you feel empowered enough to make some tiny adjustment to how you go about your day?
Here’s my challenge to you. What small action can you commit to today, that moves you closer in the direction of the life you want to be living? I’d love to hear about it!
