We all need to add more balance to our lives in order to live a happy, healthy and vibrant life; everything in this world comes down to finding the proper balance. But when we find ourselves in a state of crisis, balance becomes far more critical.
Whether your balancing work and home life, eating healthy versus eating what makes you happy, doing stuff for others without neglecting yourself, etc., everything works better and goes more smoothly when you’ve got a balance.
Although achieving balance isn’t the easiest thing to do, it is possible and it is personal. We’ve come up with five ways to introduce more balance into your life and get things going in the right direction during times of crisis.
1) Prioritize Your Core Values
Prioritizing and scheduling based on your core values can be a great place to start introducing more of a sense of balance to your life. We all have busy lives and long to-do lists; the only way we’ll ever get everything done and find balance in our lives is by prioritizing what needs to be done according to our core value system while scheduling our days.
The tricky part of this is deciding just what is important; in some cases, your work may take priority, but in others family or friends may take priority over your work on your to-do list. Only you can decide what’s important and what should be prioritized in your schedule and when.
Identifying your core values can help you fine-tune your personal system and minimize the trickiness of prioritizing your time and energy. Here’s a simple personal example of how I prioritize my relationships according to my core values. I have many relationships in my life that I place a high value on. However, my only sister lives miles away and is much older than me. Whenever she calls, I pick up 95% of the time, no matter what I’m doing. It’s because, within my core values, I have identified that no matter how busy I am, I’m going to talk to my sister. Another example is my husband, whenever he calls no matter what I’m doing I pick up my phone. This may sound simple, but it’s not always easy. You have to think about your life and identify what matters most to you. Then, write it down.
2) Set Systems In Place Versus Goals
I’m no different than the next personal development geek. I love goals!! They actually make me happy. I love setting and meeting them. However, I believe that setting systems in place can be more beneficial, especially in times of crisis. A system is made up of all the tiny action steps, (that become habits over time) that actually get you to your goal. Setting up daily systems can prove to be incredibly helpful in achieving a balance in your life. It helps you keep your sights on what you want and what’s important, avoiding too much straying from your path. Why? Because your path is right in front of you, not 365 days away. You can even track your progress if you must.
Here’s another example. I just recently created a system for getting more fit during a time of crisis. Instead of setting a goal to lose 20 pounds in 6 months. I created a 100 days of sweat challenge to keep myself fit. Each day, I do some type of exercise routine that allows me to break a sweat. Think systems, not goals during this time. This will also help you manage your stress because it’s a mindful practice that allows you to win every day, one day at a time!
3) Be specific in your schedule and review it
It’s easy to throw your schedule out of the window during these times and live in a reactionary state. Bad idea. Instead, reassess your schedule. Create a new flexible schedule, be as specific as possible and review it regularly. If you notice that you have a lot more time on your hands and don’t know where to start, may I suggest the “3 things a day rule”? It simply means making a to-do list of 3 things that you can, want or need to do daily. Honestly, I do this weekly. Then on a daily basis, a make a list of 3 things to do each day that will cause me to cross off the 3 weekly tasks. If you are a doer like me, this alone will give you a sense of peace knowing that in some small consistent way, you are moving your life forward.
Once you’ve created your schedule and are sure that you’re specific in all the things you want to achieve and the steps necessary to get there, you should review your schedule daily. This is an incredibly important step allowing you to reflect on your systems and priorities to ensure everything is moving along in the midst of the storm.
4) Find an accountability buddy
An accountability buddy is someone that holds you accountable for the priorities you’ve set, and the things you’ve said you’ve wanted to do and accomplish. It’s easier to find balance and stick to your systems, priorities, and schedule when you have someone to be accountable to that’s is also accountable to you. It also is a great relationship-building tool because during trying times we need each other even more.
Your relationship with your accountability buddy should be interactive and mutual. Make sure that you’re pulling your weight but not carrying more than your load. Remember, you want to create positive experiences during this time, not create more stress.
5) Always keep the process in mind
Life isn’t just about what you achieve and what you get, it’s about the journey, the process. In order to achieve a proper balance, you need to always keep in mind that true growth is in the process. That’s where the transformation actually happens.
Everyone needs to create more balance in order to live a happy and healthy life. Finding the proper balance in your life can be difficult, but it’s not impossible and it’s well worth the effort.
We hope this article has helped to point you on the right path towards a healthy balance in your life, especially during a crisis
As always,
Be well + prosper
Elaine