Often times I get caught up in the major things going on in my life – work & volunteer stuff – which leads me to ignore some of the smaller things I need to take care of. These small things, while not requiring a ton of time or effort, are just as important to me and my life and deserve focus as well. These are the things that help keep me in balance. Help me have the reserves to deal with the major things, be focused, have energy and patience. Help me perform as best as I can and live up to my expectations.
This isn’t about being selfish or not fulfilling responsibilities. It is making sure you do what you need to do in order to do things for others and do what you need to do in the best, most efficient way possible. Yes, I know this sounds somewhat cliche, but to paraphrase someone I respect a lot – you’ve got to help yourself before you can help others.
What does this mean? If I say no to something or am more quiet and reserved than normal, I will feel bad, but sometimes I just have to take care of things. It is one thing that I struggle with, since I want to help others succeed and pitch in to do things that need to be done. But I can’t put too much weight on either side of the scale. I have to maintain the balance.
Sometimes maintaining the blanace means doing laundry, cleaning up around the house, or looking at my personal budget and updating Quicken. Other times it means vegging out and watching TV or reading. Even other times it means working late or attending meetings & events on nights or weekends. Basically – I try to make sure I don’t focus on any one area exclusively. Yes, there may be times where one part of my life needs more focus (i.e. the month of August at work or when thinking about a big purchase) but just have keep in mind how to restore the balance when possible.
Today, I’ve focused on work, volunteering and stuff around the house. Now it is time for vegging and watching TV and it feels so good and worth it.
Work hard. Play hard. Maintain the balance.
What do you do to maintain the balance in your life?