I feel like I'm juggling three balls trying to keep them all in the air, but also hoping that none hit the ground, between family, work and my dreams.
A lesson that I have learned from adulthood is that balance is not something that you obtain once and maintain for the rest of your life. It's something that you continually refine and tweak almost daily.
A few years ago, I would have been able to confidently tell you how I balance out my responsibilities to family, career and myself Now it's much more complex than that.
In reality, sometimes it's necessary to spend more time on one season than the other.
Sometimes, family is the primary concern.
And sometimes work comes first.
At times I feel I have neglected myself for too long and I need to take a break. I've never had a hard time with family especially with them being in the top of the list.
Whether I'm setting a goal that I'm really aiming for or I have a lot of goals to pursue, I realize that success is different when I have people to share it with. You can't come up with a sense of grounding like family can, no matter how much money or accomplishments you have.
Family life is not always easy, but. . . .
I have things to do, things I'd like to do, times when people need me and Sometimes those demands come when I have a lot on my plate or am working on a personal project.
At those times, the key to being in balance isn't the amount of time you have to spend, it's what you choose to do.
Another field that is always in need of attention is career.
I like to create, chase ideas and work towards goals. I can't sit still for long; whether it's writing, learning something new, exploring possibilities or developing new business ideas.
But the danger in ambition is that it can devour all things quietly in your heart if you allow it to.
At one time I thought that if I worked harder, things would be better. I would just add more hours on if it wasn't moving quickly enough.
What I learned is that a lack of balance in productivity can yield exhaustion instead of advances.
We get back to the third one here: myself.
All the time, though, it's the part that I don't do right.
We're good at showing up for others. We're on time, can do what we say we can do and are responsible.
However, that's not always a strength of ours.
I have found out that it's okay to take time for myself and still not be selfish and believe me It is necessary.
That sometimes involves taking a break from work for a few hours.
It can also be a time to quietly rest, read, pray, or even do nothing productive at least for a few hours!
I've seen that when I neglect myself, my life suffers as well. My patience decreases. My creativity drops. My relationships are affected, too.
How do I do it then. I'm asking myself.. how do I balance it all ...family, career, me?
I'm not sure what it means to be balanced, but I don't believe it means that each one gets exactly the same time.
I believe that it translates to ensuring that none of them are neglected forever.
Sometimes it may be necessary for me to come to the family's service for more than one week.
At times, work will do some weeks.
And then on some weeks, I have to make some time for myself.
It's not about getting it right.
The point of the exercise is awareness.
To acknowledge a time that a certain aspect of life has been neglected for too long and to make the needed change.
I'm still learning.
Sometimes I still mess up!
My To-Do list prevails on some days.
On days like this, family commitments get the better of you.
I don't get a real break in weeks some days.
Maybe that is what balance is all about anyway, being here in this moment in the parts that are important to you.
After all, it is not all about career building.
It's about creating a good life as well.
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