Finding Balance

SO many of us are seeking balance because we wear so many different hats and have many different roles in the lives of the people around us. Something that has helped me over the years was to recognize that having balance does not mean giving everything in your life equal time. So, how do you find balance?

1) Give yourself permission to decide what is important

There will be days when your family needs you and you will devote your time mainly on them. There will be days when a major deadline is approaching at work and you need to work long hours to get everything done. There will be days when you need some time to yourself to rejuvenate and be refreshed. You get the point! Each day, decide what is most important and make that the priority for the day. Don't feel like you need other people's permission to decide what is important in your own life. You don't!

2) Each week, do a time audit

I do it on Sundays, but you choose which day works best for you. I look at my calendar and evaluate how the previous week went. What are the wins? What did I fail to get done last week that I need to move to this week? What were good uses of my time? What were time wasters? Asking yourself these questions can help guide your planning for the week. We all get 24 hours in each day. Finding balance is determining what you will spend your time on. You decide!

3) Saying no because it is necessary

You will have the opportunity to say yes to A LOT of good things. But, that does not mean you should commit to them all. This used to be hard for me, but I have learned that time is a limited resource. I only get one chance at today and I want to spend the time well. Spending your time well sometimes means saying no to something that is good. But in that moment, your no is necessary. Remember, you GET to spend YOUR time in a way that serves you well.

4) Show yourself some grace

There are days when I wake up with my plan/schedule for the day and something inturrupts my day that is important. I no longer get flustered. I just recognize that something else needs my time and I show myself some grace. I realize I may not accomplish what I planned to do that day and recognize that a successful day means I took care of what needed to be taken care of that day. Proverbs 16:9 says, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." It is good to have a plan, but be open to the Lord changing the plan. He loves us and knows what is best.

~ April Nicole