Work and Life Not Balanced? Make a Choice
It’s nuts out there. Nothing seems to be in balance. You probably noticed. The Economy’s improving: that’s good. Fuel prices going up: not good. Social Media a little too powerful and nosy: not good. Politics: more divisive than ever – bad. Immigration: conflicting information – bad. Healthcare, ARRRRGH!
How do you stay in balance in the midst of this? How do you cope with the fire hose of information and disinformation? How do you know what’s true? I find myself longing for a flight back to my teens when I just had to worry about mean girls, cute boys, and homework. That’s an oasis I’ll never get to revisit.
Be responsible for finding your own balance in the midst of craziness.
What do we do? How do we find that elusive work and life balance? How do we cope? How do we do more than cope? There has to be a silver lining, a rainbow, somewhere in the middle of this storm.
I have wrestled with this storm, and I have good news. As cliché as it may sound – difficult times are opportunities for growth. Dark, stressful times in life force us to look hard at previous choices and make better ones. They open doors for learning and refining who we are and how we live. Maybe we got too far out on a limb. As long as we’re still alive, there’s time to inch back towards the center and choose better.
No matter what, choose to make the next choice a good one
Here’s the deal, no matter how stressed and crazy things feel, decide your next choice will be good. Increments work. One choice at a time. One breath at a time. Yep, you screwed up in the past. OH WELL! Breathe.
Ask this: What can I do right now, right here, to make things a tiny bit better? What can I choose to do, to think, to read? Who can I choose to call? What step can I take that will move me a little closer being better balanced?
Choose. That’s the key word. What’s important? What can you learn? Where can you pull in a little? Where can you put energies where they matter most? Put down the phone. Stop checking Facebook every two seconds. Go outside. Enjoy the magnificent view, even if that means looking up at the sky. For one minute focus on breathing.
Choosing means NOT choosing something else.
Once we choose this we are not choosing that. If we choose to be financially healthier, we are choosing not to spend money on things that don’t matter. If we choose to be physically healthier, we choose not to spend too much time as a couch potato or eating foods that are bad.
Choice is an interesting thing. If it’s forced, or if our commitment is half-baked, it probably won’t work. But when we commit with all our energy to that choice, magic happens.
In order to find life balance, think of one or two small changes that need to happen in your life. Focus your energy and do what it takes to make that happen. One step at a time. Don’t go overboard and try to change your entire life all at once. Your head might explode. Just a small change here, a small choice there: 10% more exercise today. One less cup of coffee. Pack your lunch three times this week. Like that.
Balance in life comes one choice after another. If you think you have to do a huge thing, you’ll become overwhelmed and may not have the energy or willpower to see it through. There’s nothing like small successes to feed big ones.
Look, you’ll make it through this, just like you made it through all the crazy times in your life up to now. You will survive the same way: one breath and one step at a time.
Stay happy and healthy!
© 2018 Beth Terry, CSP • All International Rights Reserved
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