Obtaining a balanced existence is difficult because we are all conditioned to be unbalanced.
We grow up in unbalanced households and therefore have been role-modeled to be out of balance. We’ve grown accustomed to living frantic, crisis management style days. It started with watching our parents rush around because they were late and led to us cramming for exams because we were late to study. These are symptoms of an unbalanced existence.
Changing your unbalanced mode of operation will require making some changes in your daily routine. It will probably mean giving up some things and saying no to some other things. Ironically, it will mean slowing down in order to go faster. I realize that this might not make sense yet, but trust me. It is true, and you will learn how to do it. I have been living these philosophies successfully for years. The principles that I live by, which I am sharing with you, allow me to accomplish more in five hours than most people will accomplish in their entire day. I’m not bragging. This doesn’t make me any better than anyone else. I’ve simply developed some life principles through reading, studying and experience that I have implemented, and they work incredibly well. What’s even better is that anyone can do what I am doing and enjoy the fruits of a balanced lifestyle.
Ironically, it will mean slowing down in order to go faster.
Getting your life structured to be in balance will require many elements. Prioritization, time allocation principles, core values, life roles, and natural areas of competence and strength will all be intertwined. It will also involve getting real with yourself about a variety of societal driven issues relative to image, gender expectations, material acquisitions, and job titles. I caution you that some of these issues could cause you sleepless nights while you wrestle with what is and what is not truly important.
It will also involve getting real with yourself about a variety of societal driven issues
Finally, once you have achieved clarity and a plan for living a balanced life and are enjoying the quality of life balance brings, you will have the ongoing challenge of living a balanced life in an unbalanced world. Just because you have clarity about your roles and how to perform at your peak in all of them on a daily basis, won’t mean that those intertwined with your roles will be accepting that they aren’t your only role. Don’t sweat this either. I’ll help you with this aspect of the transition. I cannot stop the environment of your roles from continually changing; that’s life, and remember life happens to all of us! What I can do is prepare you for those constant changes.
You will find that when you lead a life that is balanced, changes in your environment are exciting.
You will find that when you lead a life that is balanced, changes in your environment are exciting. Environmental changes will represent new possibilities, instead of frustration, fear, or feelings of being overwhelmed. You will still experience these feelings because that is human nature, but they will be short-lived. Everyday can truly be a chance to make lemonade out of what the unbalanced person would view as lemons.
Tomorrow I’ll begin the wrap-up of chapter one, which is a message to those of you who are high achievers already. “Live Full, Live Well” can be ordered from www.balanceprofessor.com
