Something I’ve been thinking about recently is the importance of keeping all areas of life healthy. It’s so easy to swing all our attention over to a suffering area only to leave the others completely neglected.
photo by gilest
A better approach would be to maintain balance in all areas making steady progress in each.
So, does this mean you leave deals on the table at work to spend quality time with the family? It might sometimes. Or, does it mean not mowing the lawn or getting all the house chores done to get your exercising in? Perhaps.
We must be willing to forfeit reaching our maximum potential in one area if it’s at the expense of the others.
Do I think balance is easy? No. Am I happy with the balance in my life? I’ll say this. I’m getting better everyday.
Question: Do you think it’s possible to live a balanced life?
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Balance is NOT easy all the time. Do I think it’s possible to live a balanced life? Yes I do. Am I? Not all the time, but like you I am improving as I go along. I think like everything else in life it depends on how important it is to you and whether you choose to work on it.
Well said, Ann. It’s a choice to work on it or not.
I remember Dan Miller talking/writing once about having to unplug something from your schedule every time you make a decision to add something to it. I think about this often when I need to decide how to balance my time. It is possible to live balanced life if you are wiling to make really tough decisions about your priorities. It’s not easy at all.
Jody,
I remember him saying that as well. He also talks about cutting out 15% of his activities each year to allow time for new things. That’s a great idea! I’m sure it’s tough though.
I’m not sure if balance is really possible. The thing I’ve been learning is how to control what’s going on with what’s really important. Sometimes work will take over or there will be too much on the family end. And that’s fine.
I’ve had to re-evaluate my thoughts on balance recently. A great article by Kent Julian challenges the notion of balance – that there are times when you are more vested in a particular area. However I like it that he includes his family in with those activities that might take him away more.
http://www.liveitforward.com/5-reasons-why-its-okay-to-be-super-busy-thoughts-on-success/
I try to pick things I want to do that follow this, including my wife and daughter while I’m trying to live out my desires and calling. I first pondered this notion of Balance when I saw the movie “Buck” that Claudia posted on awhile back. Buck is gone 9 months a year and sees his family about 5 months, but he is living out his calling. I’m not sure I could do that, but it also leaves a lasting impression on his daughters, that their dad is living out his calling in life and it gives them the permission to do the same.
I read that post by Kent it was really good…. Thanks for posting it Michael!
Yes, Buck did not have all 7 areas of his life in balance that is for sure. Time with family was greatly missing!
I remember reading that post by Kent when he first published it. Great read! Thanks for bringing it p again. I think balance is something that needs continual adjustment and tweaking.