Finding Balance…

I believe life…or rather, living the life you really want to live…is all about finding a good balance. It’s about finding time for exercise, eating right, getting enough sleep, working to feel fulfilled and help others…finding the perfect blend of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies to feel healthy and whole. Sounds simple, huh? But you know as well as I do that it’s really tough when there’s only 24 hours in a day (and at least seven for me have to be spent sleeping for me to function!) When you’re juggling a full-time job and your side passion/dreams/goals AND your personal life as a wife, mother, grandmother, etc. – well, life can feel unbalanced sometimes. How are we possibly supposed to find time to meet our own demands, much less those of others, AND be reasonably happy? Throw in a curve ball…a child or a parent moves back home, you have a major loss, etc…and balance may seem like a distant concept impossible to achieve.

So first, perhaps, we must look at what’s right in front of us and realize that  balance, like life, is about the choices we make. In my last blog, (part one of a blog post on time management for writers, but suggestions that can be applied to anyone, whatever their walk in life) I recommended five practical tips on managing your time (if you missed it, just go back to my last blog post). Here are five more that can help you with achieving balance:

Set Priorities.

As I said above, there is only so much time in a day. Don’t waste any of it. Set priorities within your schedule…not everything is a “hair on fire†priority and if you treat everything as if it is, you’ll never get anything of long range importance done. If writing several pages is your priority for the day, then shut everything else out. If playing with your kids is the priority, writing will have to wait. But don’t try to do both at the same time because you won’t be able to do either effectively.

Limit Distractions including “Digital†Time.

It’s easy to go down a “rabbit hole†when you engage in social media or answer emails, etc. Answer emails only 3 times a day. Schedule social media, emailing, website updates, etc. all at once if possible by using a multi-post platform (Hootsuite, WordPress, etc.) or block out a half-hour to an hour a day to concentrate on your marketing/social media/communication efforts – then free up the rest of the day to focus on your priorities.

Delegate Responsibilities.

You can’t possibly be good at everything – and have time for everything even if you are. If you need to spend more time writing but know you need to edit, proof, publish and market your book – and realize you can’t possibly do it all – get help! You may have to pay for it but it sure beats the alternative of staying stuck.

Realize Multi-Tasking is a Myth.

People (especially women) used to pride themselves on multi-tasking. But scientists are coming to find (and prove) that when you focus on more than one task at a time, you tend to do less and do less well. Mindfulness – focusing on one task at hand and doing it well – is much more effective.

Take Time for You.

It’s easy to feel anxious, worried and overwhelmed when you’re trying to balance everything when life gets hectic. Don’t lose your joy and peace. The day before this column was due, I had scheduled going to my “happy place†(the beach). I hadn’t been all summer, which made Michele a very sad girl. (All work no play…). Of course I knew I had to meet my deadline…so I scheduled time for writing this blog in before and after my beach day! You don’t want to end up having resentments and regrets about not having enough time for what’s important. Author Anna Quindlen said “I don’t like writing but I love having written.†Schedule time for what will make you happy in the long run. Have no regrets!

And finally, lest we forget, I pray that we all remember we are seeking only to do God’s Will and if we keep that in front of us, we will find everything we seek, including balance, joy, peace and a way to manage our time to best fulfill our purpose.  “…seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ^ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.” (Luke 12:31-38).