Balance…what a word…it brings about immediate response in a world that is imploding from all sides. We have more to do than ever before because there is more to do thanks to 24 hour operations, access to everything all the time and boundaries that no longer exist.
The task at hand is to take the excess and “balance” it all. The definition states, “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions” but who decides what the “correct proportions” are in work/life balance. Unlike a serving size on a package that serves to give proportion, work/life balance does not serve itself in proportions. It is highly subjective, as we define how much is too much as it goes back to this theory of tolerance and capacity. Much different than serving size, as if you eat to your tolerance or capacity your imbalance will show in your waist line.
Balance is a personal decision, and will show in more than your waist line. What does a life in balance look like? Clear skin, thin waist, contentment on the face? What does a life out of balance look like? Harried look, unhealthy with a look of torment? Interestingly either look could look the same in either situation. Sometimes the effort to keep the balance causes more stress than the lack of it all together. Fighting to find your starts/stops to each “life” (work/personal) can be exhausting. This life and all of its technology does not easily allow for starts/stops as regardless of what bucket you put it in work and personal follow around us all day.
Balance in today’s world, in my world, is more about intention. I set the intention for what I want to do on any given day. I do not set the intention in buckets of work/personal I set the intention on what I want to do that day, week, month or moment in time as a whole. This allows me to get out of life everything that I can tolerate or have the capacity for regardless of labels.
As you set the intention for the week what is the “balance” that you wish to seek? When you take the guardrails of work/personal away how does that help to balance more wholly? Simply set an intention to live within your world, all the ways that serve you best regardless of their label. Take the time to seek these answers, set the intention and live a balanced week in this new approach.
When you “weigh” it out as a “whole” LIFE versus defining the “parts” I think you will be far more balanced in your satisfaction of how you spent the ONE LIFE…work, personal, social and all other buckets that you are living wholly.
L.
Originally published at http://alwaysstarting.com on February 9, 2020.