5 Ways To Strive For Balance

Let’s be honest: none of us have this figured out. So, before any of you think I have come up with a magic balance formula, allow me to save you the trouble: I haven’t. Learning how to negotiate my full-time jobs and the demands of “real life” is just as much a struggle for me as it is for you. Maintaining focus, excitement, drive, and achieving a certain level of “success” (whatever that looks like from your POV) is even more challenging when you’re building your own business from the ground up. How do you make sure you’re staying true to your vision AND stacking your coins? How do you separate professional time from the personal time when the lines blur so easily? And is there really any downtime for people who are running growing businesses?

I ask myself this regularly - it’s on a continuous loop in my mind. But, for the longest time, I lived in the land of worry. And, whenever I would make the trip, you can bet one of two things happened: either I would work myself to the bone and, often, get sick as a result, OR I would mess around and allow myself to slack off heavy all while calling it self-care. Basically, balance was not a strong suit. But, with growth comes different perspectives, and I have adopted a few things that help make my attempts at achieving balance a bit more realistic.

See Five Ways To Strive For Balance Below

"No" Is a Complete Sentence

Saying "no" is pretty hard to do for so many of us because it channels a feeling of guilt. We feel like we're not doing enough ( lie detector determined that was a lie) and that things are going to fall out of line without our involvement. Of course, logically, we know this isn't true. The bottom line is that even if we were capable of working 24/7, it still wouldn't be enough. Yet, it doesn't change the feelings of guilt that prevail. Not only that but our culture tends to place an unrealistic value on the overwhelming idea of busyness. The world tends to tells us that if we aren't working on something, anything, we are just wasting time.

Even when we finally work up the courage to say "no" or "I can't," we then force ourselves to offer up an explanation to justify our response. That's why I'd like you all to consider for a moment that the word "no" is actually a complete sentence. "No." Period. End of sentence.

Accountability Is Actually a Major Key

There will always be 1000 reasons to skip out on the goals you have set for yourself. The reality is most people quit on their goals because there are no real consequences for their inaction. However, when you have an accountability partner, the narrative changes. There is so much power in accountability because you know someone else cares about your success, and that's a big deal.

Letting Go of The Things We Can't Change

Things aren't always going to go as planned, and we need to give ourselves grace and sit in that. So what if you accidentally said something stupid? So what if you inadvertently embarrassed yourself? People don't remember the little things, so neither should you. You can't change the past, so don't waste energy thinking about all of the ways you wish you could have done or said something differently. You can't, and that's ok. The more you sit in these negative thoughts, the less confident you will feel and then how is anything going to get done.

Say It Loud: BOUNDARIES

It is easy to allow work to consume you, both physically and metaphorically, when you're so caught up in just staying afloat. One thing we learned though, is that setting boundaries are imperative to building a solid bridge between your present and your future. If that means you don't take a work call or answer an email after 9 pm, do it. If that means you don't schedule meetings during a specific time of day to find a few minutes of peace, there is nothing wrong with that. Establishing what you will and will not allow in your space is absolutely necessary for the search for balance.

Practicing Actual Self-Care

I saw a quote a few weeks ago that read: "Sometimes self-care is adding a little bit more to your savings account." This is so true! Recently, the idea of "self-care" has been more about pampering yourself than establishing a clear understanding of what you need to recharge and work more efficiently. Don't get me wrong - we are firm believers in a manicure, a massage, or a Saturday Netflix binge on the couch to ease your stress. There is, however, a time when sometimes you have to do the things that you don't necessarily want to do (i.e., putting more in your savings account so you can pay a photographer for your next blog post instead of buying that pair of sneakers) to set yourself up for a win. It feels a lot more like balance when you recognize that giving up something is really for your gain.

Like I said before, I still haven't figured out an exact formula, but I know what has been working for me, individually, consistently. And, truthfully, as I evolve, those needs will shift. How do you strive to attain balance? Anything you recommend? Let us know in the comments below.

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