INVEST in … Balance

I have spent the last week processing and refining some thoughts on what I want this blog to give to those who are interested in reading.

I’d like this blog to encourage you to…

• Practice creativity … whatever that means for you. For me, it comes out in things artsy and in writing. Though I love music, too, and often have some Kenny G playing in the background while I draw, letter, or paint. For you … maybe you exercise or garden or bake or knit or sing or build or take care of bees. I know that when I allow myself room to experiment creatively, I thrive in a way that is missing when I get too busy. I want others to personally know that thriving.

 

• Be yourself in this world that asks you to be so many other things.

 

• Invest in the people around you.

 

• Invest in things that bring you rest and peace and health (because these will influence all aspects of your life).

 

To do this, I want to take the word I chose at the beginning of the year and apply it to the blog. My goal will be to use the word invest as a theme for the year. Each month, I will then add another word or words to answer the question, “Invest in what?”

My hope is to blog differently each week of the month. So one week, I may blog about the word of the month. One week I may have an art project related to the word. One week I may have a journal or personal challenge in relation to that month’s theme. One week I may have a surprise topic. (The exact layout is still becoming clear. Be patient with me. I’ll get there.)

Now that I’ve explained things (sorry, this post will be a little long) … on to the actual post!

 

At first, I wanted January to focus on words that make you want to pull out that new planner and DO something. I mean, really get down to business and think big.

I toyed with INVEST in …

• Goals
• Vision
• Purpose
• Initiative

But then I realized that in order for all of those to work … really work … like long-term rather than a vaporizing puff of energy … I need balance.

No, I don’t mean walking a straight line or trying to stay standing with my eyes closed.

I mean life balance.

Too much in one area doesn’t work. Too much work leads to burnout. Too much play leads to not getting important things done. Too much junk food leads to weight gain and not feeling good. Too much healthy food leads to binging. Too much exercise leads to injury. Too much sitting around leads to lack of energy. Too many projects at once leads to feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. And the list goes on forever.

First, I must say …

Balance does not mean equal.

I can live a balanced life without giving equal time/focus to all areas. Finding equal would lead me back into the too much for too many categories (think about eating equal amounts of junk food and healthy food … that’s too much junk food). When I have balance in life, I feel like I am where I want/need to be in the areas that are most important to me (in a learning and growing kind of way, not in a perfect kind of way).

Sometimes the evidence of imbalance is the first clue that I need to refocus. For me, it’s when I enter a striving mode, clawing and scratching in a panic at the pile just trying to catch up or when I feel like I’m a walking zombie, moaning garbled nothing at the people around me. Definite clues to imbalance. Then it’s time to reevaluate, adjusting what’s important and what has to go, for sanity sake … mine and those around me.

 

Examples? You want examples?

Okay … what requires balance in my life?

• Work. I tend to pick up work whenever I have a few minutes. Waiting at soccer practice, throughout the day, before bed, first thing in the morning, cramming every spare second with something productive. My brain rarely stops. Because I work from home, I need boundaries for work, so I can play and engage my family. Scheduling my work helps me set aside time so I can be available at the same time as everyone else. Then, I don’t feel pressured with work while I hang out with people.

 

• Rest. This can be connected to work. Because I see each moment as an opportunity to work, grow, learn, do … I need to be purposeful about setting some time apart to rest. Sleep, yes … but anything that rejuvenates me. I like to unwind in a good fiction book.

 

• Relationships, family and community. We are in the midst of a very busy stage of life. I thought having small children was busy, and it was. Now is a different busy. Older children mean driving to sporting events and practices, teaching them how to be adults, and engaging them when they are ready to engage, not necessarily when I want them to listen. I need to be ready and willing to be present and have fun with my children and other people … in person. I find that I connect best with people in person. It can be done by email, text, and the like … but it happens on a deeper level when it happens face-to-face.

 

• Attitude. Positivity fuels energy. In most situations, positivity lurks just waiting to be uncovered. Don’t get me wrong, positivity doesn’t mean denial. I need to acknowledge what is true in a given situation and look for doable solutions. In me, negativity leads to bitterness, while solutions lead to hope.

 

• Health. This has lots of venues. Mental. Emotional. Spiritual. But I’ll talk about physical here. I need exercise. Luckily, I love it. But which came first? The need or the love? I don’t really know. I know that I can work out anxiety and stress with a workout. My workout of choice is running, but any combo of fresh air and movement do serious damage to my anxiety level.

 

“You can do anything—but not everything.” ~David Allen

 

When I invest in balance in these categories, I stand back and evaluate each. Not all at once (that would be overwhelming!), just every now and then, one at a time. I look for loose wires and potential triggers. I watch my stress level and measure my peace. It sounds complicated, but it’s really just noticing how I feel and identifying what causes it followed by looking for solutions to any problems.

These are just some areas that scream at me when they’re out of balance. It’s not an exhaustive list.

Where do you need ongoing balance?