Balance. We want it, but can we achieve it? When I think back to my childhood days of going up and down with a friend on the other end of the seesaw, I don’t remember ever actually balancing with both of us in the air, no feet on the ground. Instead, we were always moving with a steady motion and a clear goal - fun.
Life is a bit like that seesaw, up and down and constantly moving. Balance comes when you know what brings you joy and fulfillment, and you move toward those things, constantly evaluating and balancing your priorities and activities.
To find more balance in your life, try this exercise.
1. Make a list of what you value the most in life. This list might include strong family relationships, financial success, social responsibility, or stability.
2. Think about when you have been the happiest and most fulfilled. What were you doing? What talents or strengths were you using? What made this experience so cool? Combine these items with the list you made in number 1.
3. If you have constructed a Life Purpose, include it on the same page with the items above. If you’d like to create a Life Purpose, click here to read about how to create one.
4. Now, circle all of the words or phrases on your list that stand out to you the most. We’ll call this your Balanced Life list.
5. Finally, think about the commitments and activities that make up your day to day life. Take the time to look at them in relationship to your list. This step is your moment of reckoning. If you discover that creativity is on your Balanced Life list, and yet none of your current commitments and activities includes creativity, then you are likely feeling out of balance. Find a place to build in some creative time by cutting back on something that does not support your Balanced Life.
By identifying what is most important to you, you now have a resource for “balancing” your day-to- day activities and long term plans. Your Balanced Life list – your values combined with your life purpose – can clarify what activities align with that list and which ones you need less of on any given day.
Balance in life may seem unattainable. When you make values-driven choices that use your talents and strengths and that are consistent with your life purpose, you will find satisfaction and fulfillment. Isn’t that what balance is all about?
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