How To Balance Everything?

What is real balance in your schedule and can you do it?

When we first think of balancing everything in our lives- we often think that means packing everything into our schedule. We don’t say no if we can find a space for {almost} every little thing. This leaves us double-booked, cutting out early to get to the next thing, arriving late and on the go, all the time. Living exhausted. We don't have time for workouts. We don’t sleep well and we don’t usually eat very well either because we don’t have time…

We live like Louisa in Disney’s Encanto. Surface pressure is real. It may look like we are balanced because we are everywhere, but if we are always busy, always exhausted and never have time for things we really care about… then we are actually completely unbalanced. Where’s our rest, where’s our recharge? Where’s our un-hurry?

What if we used a different definition of balance where balancing meant including the big important things with some smaller less-important things, and giving each “thing” an appropriate percentage of our attention, time and energy?

I am guilty of spending a lot of time being busy and sometimes I do too much, but I used to be worse. A full schedule was my jam because to me, doing things made me a better person, somehow more worthy. I also struggled with saying “no” without a really really good reason. I forgot I was allowed to just say no and not offer a reason. Although come to think of it, mental sanity is a reason and scheduled time for relaxation is importan, so why don’t we schedule it???? Insert plug for therapy which helped me recognize this and work differently. My hope with writing this is to speed up your realization and help you redefine your sense of balance.

We have to re-label relaxation to not equal lazy. In my mind doing nothing is still productive but it can also include time to read, time to do a hobby, etc. I read another quote somewhere recently that said something like “my plate is as full as I want it right now” and I love that. I hear an implied “ so you can mind your own business” in there - which maybe is or isn’t there and I love that too.

Anyways I write a lifestyle blog intended to help women make and keep time for fitness a priority and here I am writing about relaxing. Why? One of the main reasons (behind not having enough time) I get for someone not working out is that they’re too tired! They’re shocked when I don’t give them a list of things they need to do to be healthy. I give them a list of things to STOP doing so there is more time for rest and to focus on what helps them find their healthy.

So often it’s the little things that take away from the big things and we don’t even realize it. If you’re feeling like you’re struggling with not enough time, and no energy for workouts, here’s your challenge: Do a time inventory.

Make a list of everything you do (or want to be doing). Categorize your activities and events into big important and little less-important lists with maybe a middle ground in there. Big things get your best. Are any of the little things taking more than their fair share of your time and energy? Keep in mind that the value can only be determined by you.

Next create your dream schedule where the big things get priority seating (here’s the plug for including workout times and relaxation/fun for you time) on your schedule and then use the smaller things to fill in where there’s a place. You might not have enough room every week for everything and that’s going to be your sign that things have been out of balance.

My next blog will have more on that but go do your time inventory- where are you now, and what does your ideal look like? If you find this helpful please share my blog and be sure you’re on my email list to know when I post the next one!