A Balanced Life

Get off the Rollercoaster

Striving to live a balance life is something that I have to purposefully do each day.  I am what you would call a self diagnosed workaholic.  If left unchecked, I would have the tendency to work long hours and thoroughly enjoy it.  However, camping out in my office is contrary to living a balanced life.

To help me keep things balanced I get I take time off the roller- coaster. Periodically I take some time off from work to recharge my batteries.  There are times when I take a whole week and then there are times when I just take a long weekend. The length of time I take off depends on my overall schedule.  What is unique about this time is that I don't really have anything scheduled.  Just knowing that I don't have to stick to a rigid schedule feels amazing.

This time off does wonders in assisting me to maintain work life balance.  This time allows to get organized, focused and rested. I use this time to get to some tasks that I normally don't have time for in my daily schedule.  For instance, I am off of work this week. So far I have cleaned out my linen closet and cleaned my desk. This time has been productive around the house.  However, I have got in some much needed rest and I am relaxed and rejuvenated.

I understand that not everyone can take off a week at a time.  The length of time isn't important.  What is important is to make sure that every now and then we get off of the roller-coaster and rest.  Schedule a day to sleep in late or take a luxurious bubble bath.  As busy women was have to make it a priority to carve out some down time.  You deserve it.

Running Late

Living a life out of balance can become a habit.  A life that lacks focus and direction will soon become unbalanced.  When this repeatedly happens this unbalance actually becomes the norm.  It can begin to feel comfortable.  One major area that tends to quickly become unbalanced is your daily schedule.

Those who live a unbalanced tend to always run late. I lived my life for a long time in a state of tardiness.  People began to expect me to arrive 5 to 15 minutes late. I was late for work, for church, for doctor's appointments, etc.  If I was supposed to be somewhere, you could guarantee that I was going to be late. Rushing from Point A to Point B was just how I lived.   

I had subconsciously began to justify my habitual tardiness.  I had convinced myself that I was always late because I always had too much to do.  But then I realized that I have control over my schedule.  I finally decided that I was tired of always having to drive like a maniac to get somewhere.  I got tired of the undue stress.  This stress was completely unnecessary.

Skipping Out on Fitness

Making time for physical activity is one of my weaknesses. When I have extremely busy periods in my life, physical activity seems to be one of the first things that I cut out of my schedule.  However, this approach is not healthy at all.

I cut out my workouts when busy because I don't really like working out. But living a balanced life is not about balancing those aspects in life that I like. Having a balanced life means that I also embrace those positive aspects in my life that don't come naturally to me.

One big mistake that I would make was to schedule my workouts in the morning.  I am the first to admit that I am not a morning person. So when the alarm clock would go off I would resent my a.m. workouts. If I skipped them then I would feel guilty. I simply had to acknowledge that working out in the morning doesn't work for me.  So instead of working out at 5:30 a.m. I now work out at 5:30 p.m. If scheduling my workout in the afternoon increases the chances that I will work out then I'm successful.

Exercising on a regular basis is essential to good health. Our bodies need exercise just like it needs food and water.  But keep in mind that as with balance, physical activity is a very individual thing.  As I say often, one size fits all doesn't cut it. The important thing is that we all do some sort of exercising based on our physical capabilities.  For some this is walking and for others it may be training for a marathon. The important thing to do is just move.

The Obama's Night Out

It's been a few days and most major newscasts are still reporting on the Obama's date night.  This morning while getting ready for work I was watching the Early Show on CBS.  The entire cast was discussing the estimated tax payer cost, Michelle's dress, the traffic it caused in New York, what they ate for dinner and what show they watched.  As they continued to banter back and forth, Dave Price, the weatherman, put it all in perspective.  He said something to the fact that having the Secret Service comes with being the President and they deserved a night out.  Big Deal.

He was so right.  They do deserve a night out.  And guess what, so do we!  As busy women we have to make sure that we allot ourselves some fun time.  Having down time is essential to maintaining balance.  We all need a chance to let loose and do something fun and enjoyable. There is more to life than being a caretaker, working, rushing from meeting to meeting, and fulfilling all of our other numerous commitments.  We need to have some time for some good old fashion fun.

Now, we all may not be able to fly to New York for the evening.  But we can put aside our responsibilities for a little while.  I don't care if it's watching a movie, playing a board game with our kids, reading a book or skydiving.  The great thing about fun is that you get to define what that means to you. It's a totally personal experience.

So, don't feel guilty when your pick up your Sudoku puzzle instead of dusting.  You are allowed to have your own "date night'.  I don't care if you spend some time by yourself, with family or with friends.  Just have some Fun.

Live Your Life

Pamper Yourself

As we all know, as women we have many different roles to fulfill each day.  What is important for us to lose focus of is the fact that we need to take care of ourselves.  If we don't take care of ourselves, then how are we going to take care of those who are depending on us?

Pampering ourselves doesn't have to cost us a lot of money; just a little time.  Here are some quick and simple ways you can pamper yourself:

• Give yourself a manicure or a pedicure
• Eat a special treat (I love ht fudge sundae's)
• Order a movie
• Get a new hairstyle
• Read a book

It's amazing how a small treat can make a difference in how we feel.  I mean, a $10 brow wax makes me feel like a million bucks.  In addition to the make roles we fulfill, as women we are special, wonderful, creative, and powerful. We expend a lot of energy on others.  We need to take some of that energy and do something nice for ourselves. It's not healthy if we neglect ourselves.  My challenge is for you to do something special for yourself this upcoming week.  YOU'RE WORTH IT!!!!

Quiet Please

As busy women it is extremely important that we are able to grab a few moments of silence each day.  It is not uncommon for us to experience sensory overload on a daily basis.  Our cell phones are ringing, text messages are coming in, our in boxes are full and someone always seems to be calling our name.

Somewhere during our day it is important that we grab a few moments of silence.  For me this is usually on my home from work.  I have a short commute (15 minutes).  During this time I drive home in complete silence.  I won't answer my cell phone or put on the radio.  It's just me and complete silence.  There have also been times when I have banished myself to the bathroom just to steal me a few moments of quietness.

This time allows me to shift gears,  These moments of silence allow me to empty my thoughts,  When I'm silent, I'm able to reflect on my day, think about where I'm headed and re-evaluate situations.  It is during these times when I do some of my best thinking.  I become mentally refreshed and recharged.  I challenge each of you to grab yourself a few moments of blessed quietness every day.