At this very moment, here’s what’s on my mind: writing this column, attending to about thirty emails, making some phone calls, completing some important tasks for my new business venture, researching more venues for my wedding, organising my diary so I know what I’m doing and where I need to be in the next few weeks, and honestly wishing I went to the gym this morning.
Seriously?
Yes.
And I wonder why I can’t focus on one task properly.
It seems the more I do, the more there is to be done. Every idea generates more tasks. Every task leads to a new one. To-do lists are never ending. Email alerts constantly chime. Research is never finite; one website inevitably leads to another. Deadlines are pushed to the limit. Is this really how it’s supposed to be?
What I’m grappling with is the concept of balance. A wonderful concept, easy to acknowledge and plan, but elusive to maintain. We all know that balance is incredibly important. That tipping the scales too much in any area of your life is not ideal. That you can only burn the candle at both ends for so long. That work, rest and play is a fantastic motto to live by. That a well balanced diet is the only one that works. That, paradoxically, if we want more energy, we have to be more active. Like I said, it’s a wonderful concept.
So how does one actually embrace, and execute, such a concept? I’ve certainly planned balanced days before, but I’ve certainly missed my target on many of them. The problem is, when you’ve got specific goals in place, or particular tasks that need to be completed, sometimes, you’re just not going to have time to do anything else. Sometimes, you’re going to throw yourself into your work, or your craft, or your family, or your passion, and that’s all you’ll do. Is there anything wrong with being all consumed?
The raw facts are that there are 24 hours in a day. And if we are supposed to sleep for 8 of them (puh-lease) then that leaves us with 16. And if we work, or study, which most of us do, then at least 8 more hours need to be subtracted from our day. For some, a long commute will eat up more of their day, for others, a child or two will ensure their time is appropriately occupied. So, are the few precious hours that are left in our day really enough to achieve grand plans in? Are they enough to find our Zen in?
I don’t believe it’s possible to be perfectly well balanced every single day. I do, however, believe that it’s possible to maintain balance over the course of a week, or a month. There’s always going to be something important that needs to be done. You just have to push it aside, place it on the ‘to-do’ pile and stop. It’s not impossible to do everything you need and want to do; it’s just damn hard. When you have a family, a social life, a job, a passion, a goal and a desire to do it all with a healthy mind and body, sometimes every task, every appointment, everything, can be incredibly overwhelming.
I’m no expert at balance, and I’m certainly learning more about it each and every day, but the trick seems to be in planning. Planning, daily or weekly, time to socialise, work and attend to tasks, as well as planning time to dream and relax and exercise. Planning is the trick, but executing those plans is the key. We can plan and attempt and think about something all we like, but if we don’t go out and do it, if we don’t make something happen, it never will. If we don’t make time for all the things in our life – the necessary and the seemingly unnecessary, the serious and the fun, the good and the bad – then we’ll never be truly stable, and possibly, truly complete.
Wish me luck.
