Is “busy” the first word you think of when asked how you’re doing?

How long has it been since you exercised?

Are you spending more than usual on grab-and-go food?

Do you struggle to stay present with the people you are with, instead nothing that your mind is on so many other things?

Your answers to these questions may indicate a life out of balance.

Some say that “work/life balance” is a myth. I disagree.

Balance is making space in your life for both the things you have to do and the things you want to do. All of us do this naturally, and it looks different for each person. The problem comes when we haven’t found the stable, centered balancing point between these two things. 

I like to use the illustration of a pendulum to consider how we can find balance. There are two extremes of a pendulum’s swing, but the only stable place along that arc is solidly in the middle. The centerpoint incorporates elements of both extremes but isn’t limited to either one. It embodies both letting go and holding on. Both exerting control and allowing. Both work and relaxation.

To find stability, you need to be honest about where you are on the pendulum’s arc.

If you’re  leaning too far into work, balance will look like creating more time for other areas of your life. This will bring you back toward the center of the pendulum’s arc and make you happier, healthier, paradoxically more productive at work, and more available in your relationships.

As a professional, you likely have many responsibilities and wear many hats. But, creating balance in your life is not an elusive fantasy. It is absolutely possible to create when you are thoughtful and intentional about what you allow to take up space — and you include both your musts and your wants.  

To your success, 

Kimberly