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Remember when we were kids and the biggest decision of our day was which shoes to wear to the playground?
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Before finances, diet and social calendars the only thing we needed to balance as was the shared weight of a friend on the see-saw.If only our five year old selves knew how splendid pure simplicity was.
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Fast forward to adulthood and we find ourselves tangled up between the pressures of work, family, budgets and keeping our waist line from expanding. It’s enough to make us want to hide in the sand box.
Trying to balance life is tricky. The day planners in our brain can sometimes seem overwrought with the push and pull of have to and get to.
Between writing the memoir, trying to get back on track with my weight (I’m a huge emotional eater), work and play, I’m a little overwhelmed with my own balancing act, but I am taking every day with positive enthusiasm and gratitude. There are no guarantees in life and I am not going to take my health or time for granted the way I have in the past.
Here’s the part where you tell me: How do you keep everything in life balanced?
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Christine Macdonald 
I have a five minutes on, five minutes off strategy to pretty much everything. Five minutes of work, then five minutes of making funny noises at my workmates; five minutes of writing, then five minutes annoying the cat. This stops me getting stressed, and so life never feels like a balancing act.*Plentymorefishoutofwater – One Man's Dating Diary*
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Balance? Balance? I must find some. I'll put it on my list.Breathe deep!
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@Plenty – I like this strategy… five minutes huh? That may just work for my ADD!@BB – Yes, let's all breathe deep!
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It's all in our minds. Simply making the decision to set priorities, and stick with the plan. There is only so much time in a day. We make up our minds not to waste valuable time, and use that time to get the things done. Blogging, however, often gets in the way. LOL
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I am so anal. I have to keep a daily routine and if I stray, it throws me. I try not to stray much.
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I definitely could use a little of this in my life at the moment. AHHHHH.
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I'm out of balance many days. Either I've embraced my inner child a little too much and overindulged in giggle-fests and twizzlers; or I'm too grown-up and list driven.I'd rather err on the giggle-fest side of the teter-totter.:-)
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@Matty – So true! @Danielle – I wish I had your focus and discipline. :)@Alicia – You and be both! I am the queen of Etreeeeeeeeeeeeems!@f8hasit – I am the same way. I tend to stay on the Twizzler side more often than I should though.
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Ummm. I don't. With 3 kids, 3 dogs, a cat, 2 ducks, a husband, and trying to carve out a writing life, I am barely hanging on to the tightrope. If someone finds the secret, clue me in. I do have my husband who keeps me sane, makes me laugh and takes my hand and leads me away from this crazy life every once and awhile. And that is my saving grace. I hope you find your balance, my girl. Kisses.
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I don't. I seem to go from brush fire to brush fire. And I hate it! But I am so often subject to a dozen different people's schedules no amount of planning can guarantee I'll get on top of my list. So whatever crisis is most likely to erupt first is the crisis that gets the attention.Sigh.
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I try to subscribe to the K.I.S.S. method… surely you are aware of it (Keep It Simple, Stupid)…I make myself my first priority… if I am not well (stressed/ill/emotionally bankrupt/insert your own problem here), then I can't be productive at work… I can't be an effective Dad… I can't be a good friend to others…It doesnt always work, but I feel so much better in many regards than I have at any other point in my Life…I am fortunate…~shoes~
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I sometimes loose the info on an appointment and have to verify or can't find that gadget I had just a few minutes ago or last Thursday.Basically, I forgive myself for not being perfect. Most of the stress in my life was high expectations for myself, wanting to please others, and demanding that others meet MY expectations.The secret to happiness is low expectations and forgiveness.
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I am with Matty on this one. There is only so much time during the day! Nobody can do it all. Something I have learned by reading Julie Cohen's book,"Your Work, Your Life…Your Way: 7 Keys to Work-Life Balance" is how to define what is most important in my work and life, which has made it so that difficult choices have become easier. I have learned to say “NO” to the things I don’t want in my life, and “YES” to to the things that I do. It has really helped me obtain more balance in my life.
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just a quick comment, I love your picture on your wikipedia page!
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Honey, I wish I knew. How I long for that sandbox…
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Thanks all! I will have to check out that book too. @RJ – thanks, that photo was taken at the Getty in Los Angeles. 🙂 You know what is great? Realizing I'm not the only one trying to balance it all. I love you guys! Here's to us!
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living a balanced life is not one of my strengths–i tend to get caught up in one thing for an extended period of time, then often burn out and move on to something else. i'm still working on maintaining interest in one thing over the long term, because i hate that i don't finish a lot of things i set out to do (hello, novel).thanks for the post and the food for thought!
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