Life Balance, Is it even really possible?

 

I cannot tell you how many times people have asked me, “Is work/life Balance even really possible?” or “Is that whole work/life balance even a real thing?”

 

The short answer is, yes.

 

The long answer is, It is up to you what that balance looks like. 

 

Your balance and my balance will look completely different as it should because you and I are different. We have different hopes, dreams, priorities, and responsibilities. Work/Life Balance or, as I prefer, Life Balance because work is a part of the larger umbrella category called life, is fluid movement between responsibility and creation. Joy is the key ingredient that keeps that fluidity possible. 

 

[Related:  Life Happens ]

 

Let me explain. You are endowed with responsibilities, even at a young age, you are charged with the responsibility for behaving a certain way, then learning as much as you can in the school-aged years. Then as time moves on you acquire more complex responsibilities such as significant relationships, vehicles, employment, and homes of the like that all require you to “act accordingly” in order to maintain those entities so that they can remain in your life as you see fit. These entities are part of who you are and how you position yourself in the world, but they are just a part. The other part of who you are and your world position is what you create; other significant relationships (children, friendships, work relationships, etc.), achievable goals, vacations, self-care, movie marathons, memories. The list is truly vast and endless.

 

Imbalance comes when you are more focused on one part or the other. When you concentrate on your job and leave little time for socialization, this creates an imbalance in your life. When you are absorbed into addiction (of whatever kind: gaming, drugs, alcohol, shopping, etc.) and mishandle your responsibilities is also an imbalance. When you are so far up the pendulum arc that you can’t even see the other side, that’s an imbalance (to the extreme obviously, but you get the idea).

 

 

Another significant imbalance is a lack of joy. Joy and finding enjoyment in both responsibility and creation is what makes the process fluid and seamless. Being able to have joy in both ends of the pendulum is what makes life balance possible. When you seek out balance it is not just about swinging the pendulum the other way and hoping you settle in the middle, it’s about purposeful life design. It’s about building value into all that you do. It’s about finding more room for joy. 

 

Creating life balance takes work, knowledge of priorities and yes, a lot of joy. Joy will grease the wheels so that you are able to slide from one side of the arc to the other as needed without significant stumbles along the way. 

 

I recognize that it’s not as easy as it sounds…but that’s why I am here to help. Beginning Sunday, July 28 I will launch an 8-day Finding Joy Challenge. It will be self-paced and emailed to you directly. You will be invited to join the private Facebook Group so we can share experiences, trials, and revelations throughout the challenge. On the odd days (Days 1, 3, 5 and 7) we will dive in and learn about different aspects of our lives where we can find and create joy. On the even days (Days 2, 4, 6 and 8) we will put what we learned into practice.  I would love for you to join me and see if you can design a more balanced life and a more joy-filled life for yourself. Look for the registration form on the right of this page and sign up today for this FREE 8-day Finding Joy Challenge and discover how life balance feels.

 

As always, let me know how I can help. I would love to chat with you and see how we can make more room for joy in your life. Email is the best way to reach me, so hit me up HERE.