February 2019 – Productivity Success Cake

Counter-intuitive thoughts that will change your notion of balance

In our last blog, we looked at 4 simple ways to improve your life-balance, that were easily incorporated into reallife. We learned that there isn’t a one size fits all definition of life balance and now, we’re going to delve deeper into your individual notion of balance.

1. What Balance Really Means

What does balance mean to you? If you defined this for yourself, then asked anyone else the same question, there might be areas of commonality, but the answers would generally be very different, reflecting your different ages, life-stages or even upbringing.

Life balance is a fluid concept; it’s going to change, depending upon the circumstances we find ourselves in. Wrongly, we often associate life-balance solely with financial/material gain or success at work, “When I get my raise, I’ll…”

But, it’s so much more than that. Ask yourself what you really want? Truthfully, and listen to the answer. Throw away those preconceptions of what you think you should want and focus on what your gut is telling you. Think about what is truly important to you and then ask yourself how you can go about achieving them. It could be your work/life balance, well-being, being at peace, increased inner calm, fulfilment or a combination of these.

2. Being Off-Balance On Purpose

So, you have an idea of what would make your life complete. That one concept that, were you to achieve it, would make your world all warm and fuzzy and put your life in total balance.

That’s great…But, what now?

Consider how boring life would be! Does your life really need to be balanced? Yes, we would all like a little order to the chaos sometimes. We have all wished that some situation or other was different in some way, but how often do we forget that this is real life – it’s not meant to be plain sailing! The majority of our experience comes from the lessons we have learned, and if life goes down a straight and even road, wouldn’t we miss the excitement of a few bumpy stretches?

Instead of focussing on attaining perfection, I believe we should celebrate our unbalance. Because, isn’t it that which makes us different? Makes us human? Aren’t the imbalances the things we will look back at when we are old and grey, with a degree of nostalgia?

3. Be Okay With You.

Remember, things are rarely what they seem. And those things that lead to life balance can sometimes be the opposite of what we think. Those “quick-fixes”, short-term solutions, habits or “lazy” reactions may seem like the million-dollar answer, but the effects can very often be quite different to what we imagined. Think carefully of the long-term cause and effect of any actions and resist those quick or impulse actions, or (shock horror) those inactions.

Instead, consider whether perfection is what you’re seeking. Really? Are you sure that it’s not simply an improvement that will give you your desired outcome?

As humans, it is our imperfections, our idiosyncrasies that make us who we are. And, it is precisely these that enable us to relate so well to each other.

Who wants to be perfect, anyway? You ARE perfect, after all.

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Why your understanding of balance is wrong

What does life-balance mean to you? Not necessarily the theory, but in practical terms? Is it committing to, and maintaining that New Year’s fitness routine alongside running a house, a job, the family, or is it something more?

You see, “balance” means different things to each of us. There is no right or wrong answer, no one way of achieving it and, sometimes, we get so engrossed in the concept of balance that actually achieving it becomes a no-go. We beat ourselves up because we perceive that the scales of life are just not balancing out and this sets us on that oh-so-familiar hamster wheel of discontent.

So, firstly, let’s take a look at 4 top tips for managing a balanced lifestyle.

1. Look After You

Are you the person to whom everyone turns in a crisis? Are you the family’s “Go-To” during their times of need? If yes, then that’s an awful lot of extra emotional “weight” being lumped on your shoulders. I’m not suggesting that you tell everyone to go find someone else to shoulder the burden, no. But, in order to maintain any sort of balance, we have to look after number one first. Your body needs rest, exercise and healthy food. Sure, all of that. But, it’s important to take time to focus on your needs and make sure you’re ticking over just fine before you focus on other people. It’s really okay to do what it takes to protect yourself from any negative energy or emotions coming your way. After all, how can you help others if you can’t help yourself?

2. Organization is Key

Being organized, and that includes mentally, too, allows your brain the flexibility to cope with any stress or disruption more easily. Plan that important “time-out” and make room for the things you enjoy. The key to life balance here is minimizing stress as far as possible.

3. Goals Work

How great does it feel when you can check something off your list as done and dusted? It doesn’t matter which area of your life, there’s sure to be a goal you can set. The successful attainment of a goal goes a long way to maintaining a healthy and positive mindset, improving your mood and helping that balance, too.

4. The Right Food = The Best Balance

Yep, it’s a no-brainer, yet the fence that a lot of us fall at. Ensuring you maintain your “five-a-day” will go a long way to helping that positive mental attitude, helping brain function and, ultimately keeping you on the road to success.

So, there you have it. Four simple steps to maintaining balance in your life. By trying to include these four rules into your life, you will reduce stress, improve your general health, boost your energy and probably be an altogether nicer person to be around. Isn’t that worth a re-balance?

Don’t forget to check back for my next blog, where we will be looking at some real game-changing, counter-intuitive thoughts that will change your notion of balance.