It seems as though work-life balance is a much talked about, yet elusive idea. It is so easy for small business owners, or anyone for that matter, to fall into the trap of all work and no play. We prioritize our work responsibilities to such an extent, that everyone and everything becomes more important than ourselves.
It is soooo easy to do this and often it is such a norm for us that we don’t even see it.
Have you ever scheduled an appointment with a needy client when you were supposed to go to one of your children’s events?
Have you stopped working out because you can’t seem to find the time?
Are you putting off that art class that you have been wanting to take because it won’t seem to fit into your already “crazy” schedule?
The interesting thing about work/life balance is that it is really about being fulfilled and happy.
When we are fulfilled and happy in our life we feel more balanced.
Actually,fulfillment and happiness should be the goal for everything in our life. If we make that a priority and use this philosophy as a litmus test for all of our work/life choices-our energy will soar and we will feel more balanced.
And yet, we may still be extremely busy. We actually get energy from activities that fulfill us and make us happy because energetically we are vibrating at a higher level.
On the contrary, when we are always giving our energy away, without boundaries concerning our time and energy, we become depleted. This is particularly true when we are spending our precious time on energetically low level activities that make us feel bored, resentful, overwhelmed, etc.
If you are in a business or job that you are really tired of, work becomes a chore and your mental and physical energy is exhausted. If you are working in a business or job that you love, your energy is magnified. You become fired up.
The big misconception about balance is that it is about “being still”. Actually balance is, as Albert Einstein said “like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
For example, if the pendulum has swung so far to the right in order for you to accomplish all of your work load, it will need to swing that far to the left in the way that you need to cater to your health, wellness and happiness. I often tell my busy overworked clients that the best thing that they could do for their business is start taking extreme care of themselves. Get that massage. Go for a walk. Take that salsa class. Do things that feel good.
When we do this, we come to our work with a clearer head. Have you ever had so much work to do that you couldn’t seem to begin because it all felt like one big blob of never ending stuff? You probably aren’t sleeping so well because you can’t turnoff that mind chatter. However, you don’t seem to be getting anything done? That is because you are too far out of balance.
On the contrary, if you have been on a long, lazy vacation, you are probably wanting to get fired up about something.
Finding the center is the goal. Balance is always in motion and the way that we get to it is different for each of us.
When you feel that your life is out of whack, ask yourself the following questions:
- what do I really need right now in order to feel happy and fulfilled?
- what would make me feel really good?
- where do I need to set better boundaries?
- what will I say yes to?
- what will I say no to?
- what stories am I telling myself that prevent me from taking better care of myself?
Being in balance is something that we should always strive for. The best way to do this is to set that intention and then ask your inner spirit the questions above. Your life is far to important to not feel great!
Cheers to YOU and your one fabulous life!
