A Better Balance – The Integration of Personal and Professional Priorities I

“A balanced, integrated life… What? As if I have time to think about that!”  

Okay, I get it.  I really do but, let’s get on the same page here.  The truth is, there is never a “better” time!  We’re always putting things off, and more often than not, the things we are putting off are truly fundamental to our wellbeing but not necessarily urgent – so they get tossed to the backburner for consideration another day.  These are things that have to do with our sense of calm, our need for peace in the midst of our day-to-day scramble.  I would argue that these fundamental necessities are relegated to the luxury column, even though they actually are the pillars of our clarity and wellbeing.

Consider this - our state of being is on a spectrum.  Where we are on any given day changes depending upon what’s going on within us as well as around us.  Some amount of movement along the spectrum is normal but radical changes suggest a lack of a stable baseline overall.  And that lack of a stable baseline can lead to burnout, overwhelm, exhaustion, and depletion.  Take a look at the primary elements of our state of being:

Mental capacity – our ability to think.  This can range from absolute clarity to thick fog.

Emotional stability – how we feel.  Do we tend to feel calm, or do we often find we are anxious?

Physical fortitude – our endurance.  This ranges from having all the energy we need, to being exhausted and unable to do the things we want to do.

Life joy – our overall happiness.  Are we full of vitality or bordering on depletion?

Where do you tend to be on each of these elements in your day-to-day existence?  Perhaps you’ve noticed that each element is interdependent with the other areas.  For example, if you’re feeling pretty clear headed (mental capacity), that will enhance your feeling of calm (emotional state), which generally will have a positive effect on your energy (physical state), which contributes to an overall sense of vitality (life joy).

Unfortunately, the opposite is true as well – one small thing going awry can cause the entire spectrum to shift far to the left and leave you feeling at the mercy of the elements around you and ready to run for the hills or hide under your covers.  Neither is an effective strategy for creating balance.  But you already know that. Likely, you know it painfully well.

… these fundamental necessities are relegated to the luxury column, even though they actually are the pillars of our clarity and wellbeing.

We often say to ourselves, “I don’t have time to think about that right now, but maybe I can tomorrow, after this project, once the kids are back in school…”  The problem is, as we each know all too well, tomorrow is no different than today.  We never have more time, more energy, more creativity “tomorrow.” In fact, we usually have less because of the cumulative effect of the depletion we experience day after day as we’re “running our race” in the absence of an integrated balance of personal and professional priorities.  

If this sounds like something you can relate to, look for my three-part series where I share techniques for creating this integrated balance and provide you with simple ways to begin redesigning your day to allow for the personal peace and the professional productivity you’ve been craving.  Remember, you have the right and the opportunity to take ownership and to take action towards creating more balance in your life.  I ask you this, “If not you, who… if not now, when?