A Balanced Life

Start Organizing Yourself Today

As busy women we fulfill many different roles and responsibilities each day.  Our daily schedules can be jammed pack from the time we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night. Because we sometimes rush, we may not have the time to put back the shoe boxes we pulled out of the closet when searching for our favorite sandals. There are also instances when things in our physical space may be cluttered because we have not stopped long enough to decide where things should go. Identifying a specific place for everything and putting things in their place assists in creating a sense of balance in our lives. 

At times this is easier said then done.  But having a designated place for our beauty products, purses, unopened mail, and keys can ease the sense of being overwhelmed.  The same is true at work.  If our physical space is cluttered, it can make us feel cluttered internally.  This is contrary to living a balanced life.

You don't have to designate a place for everything all at once.  Make a list of the areas in your life that need to organizing.  From this list, pick one area to focus on.  Work your way through this space until you have a designated place for everything.  For instance, you might decide that you want to start in your bedroom.  Start by making sure all of your visible surfaces (i.e. dressers, nightstands) are clear from clutter.  Then make you way to the areas that are not visible such as your closet and dresser drawers. 

Think Before Saying Yes

How many times have you been at work, at your child's school or at church when someone nominates you to do something?  I can think of countless time when I have been volunteered for something.  I can also think of countless times when I have been in these situations and no one volunteers.  So I then feel some sort of obligation and I raise my hand and say,"I'll do it." 

In both of these scenarios I can remember feeling honored because someone has confidence in my abilities or that I was the one who stepped up to the plate when no one else would.  But I can also recall instances when I didn't feel that same level of excitement when the time came to fulfill my obligation.

Sometimes I would regret saying yes.  Other things would come up and I would loose focus.  And then there were other times when I just didn't want to do it.  However, I would push through these feelings of regret and do what I agreed to do. I really didn't enjoy this internal struggle. Now, I think before I say yes.

A Good Enough Life is not Good Enough

There is a big difference between living life and just existing.  When someone is just existing, they go through their daily lives without any sense of purpose, excitement or meaning.  They just go through the motions each day and except whatever life brings them. However, this is not how life was intended to be lived.

Those who really LIVE their lives look forward to the possibilities of each day. They approach their lives with a sense of purposefulness and they feel that their life has a sense of meaning.  They are deliberate in their approach when they make decisions and and they truly enjoy their life.

This is how life should be approached. Each day brings us new opportunities and even challenges. And yes it is true that sometimes we have no control over these challenges or situations. Even though is may seem that life "dumps" on us, we should not surrend our sense of being to these situations. 

We CAN change aspects of our lives that we don't necessarily like or are positive.  We shouldn't sit back and just accept what life brings us.  But to do this you must have courage, patience and maintain a positive attitude.  This looks like:

• COURAGE:  Face the aspects of your life that need to be addressed head on. Be honest with yourself about your current situation.  Then develop your plan of action and start making steps toward your goal.
• PATIENCE: Be patient with yourself.  Realize that it may take some time to see the benefits of your hard work.  Don't give up.  Remember that each day that you do something to deliberately change a circumstance in your life puts you closer to your intended goal.
• POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Don't live your life with a permanent storm cloud over your head.  Having a negative attitude only reaps negative results.  It is realistic to feel emotions such as anger, sadness and bewilderment.  Acknowledge your feelings, assess your situation and then get to work.

We are blessed with the gift of life. Enjoy and treasure each age and stage of this gift.  Don't spend years just drifting through your life.  LIVING A GOOD ENOUGH LIFE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!

Life Coach Training

I am currently enrolled in Coach Inc's, Coach U Life Coach Training Program.  This intensive coaching program will enable me to receive my certification as a Life Coach from an accredited program. Coach Inc is accredited through the International Coach Federation.

During this extensive training program I will be working with an experienced mentor coach. Working with a mentor coach will have many benefits.  I will not only learning from the quality course content, but I will also be able to learn from an experienced coach with a successful practice.  This will also  allow me to launch the first phase of A Balanced Life, LLC's Life Coaching programs.  

The first phase of Life Coaching programs provided by A Balanced Life, LLC will launch in the late fall.  My intent it to make the Life Coaching affordable. So, check back for more information on our Life Coaching programs. I am excited about the possibilities for expanding the resources A Balance Life, LLC can provide.

Crash and Burn

Living life at a non-stop pace can easily become normal.  It is not unheard of a person who has to juggle multiple obligations at home, work, at church, and in our community. However, if you try to keep the pace of the Energizer Bunny you can easily crash and burn.

Burnout is a medical condition that does not discriminate. Burnout doesn't care if you are a mother, student, if you work or are a stay at home mom  or how much money you have in the bank. It can effect you both physcically and emotionally. All of us are susceptible to burnout if we don't take precaution. 

Burnout happens when your life is off kilter and not balanced for an extended period of time.  The signals of burnout can be very similar to stress.  It is very important to recognize if you are exhibiting any of the symptoms of having burnout and make any necessary modifications.  For some, this may mean consulting with a medical professional. 

If you have suffered burnout, it is important to make sure that you make modifications to prevent you from have reoccurring relapses.  There are three simple tips that can help:

1. Using effective time management skills
2. Say No.  Be honest if you aren't able to fulfill a request. 
3. Ask for help.  You don't have to be everything by yourself.  Asking for help is not a signal of weakness. 

I'm sure you can identify periods in your life when you suffered from burnout. When you think of these periods in your life, you can also recall how this was not a pleasant experience.  A key to living a balanced life is prevention. You have to live your lives so that you positively and proactively manage your daily obligations and responsibilities.  Doing this will prevent us you from crashing and burning.

I Will Do It Tomorrow

Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week ~ Spanish Proverb

As I young child I had the Sweet Pickles books series by Jacqueline Reinach.  My favorite book in this series was Goose Goofs Off.  This was a delightful tale of a Goose and how she was determined to take a day off.  Throughout the book, Goose was confronted with different things that required her attention.  However, her motto was I'll do it tomorrow.  She didn't get her TV fixed, she didn't go to the mailbox, she wouldn't even mop her floor because she was going to do everything tomorrow. Her friends had to frequently remind her that she said the same thing yesterday and the day before.  Her tomorrow never came.

A few years back, I was moving and came across my old copy of Goose Goofs Off.  As I started to thumb through the pages of the book, I realized that  I had become Goose.  Tomorrow was my answer to everything.  That's what I told my family, friends, co-workers and myself.  I was going to do it tomorrow.  Not only that, but I would say it with such conviction.  Whatever I had to deal with, I was going to do it tomorrow.  It wasn't long before those around me reminded me too that I had said that the day before.