Do You Seek Balance or Harmony?
“Work-life balance was a mistake from the start. Because people don’t really want balance. People want satisfaction.”—Matthew Kelly, author
Balance is a sticky subject among many people because it’s so hard to achieve. Harmony is a better goal to desire. We have careers, partners, children, family commitments, classes, hobbies, household responsibilities, worship time—plus, big desires to be healthy and happy. So, how does a person, or even a family, manage to balance all of these things in a happy and healthy way?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: You can’t!
Balance. Is It A Myth?
“Harmony” is an easier goal than balance.
The word harmony means that everything is co-existing in a spirit of cooperation. But whatever you want to call it —harmony, balance, or “fitting it all in”— there is a secret to doing more of what you want and less of what you don’t want.
Want to hear it?
I just need to warn you that although the equation sounds simple, it actually takes massive willpower to execute. It also requires that you get absolutely clear on what you want your life to look like, and what you do not want in your life. Ready? Okay, here’s the secret:
#1. First ask yourself what isn’t serving you. What doesn’t need to be in your life? What’s dragging you down? What’s keeping you awake at night?
You may have people in your life who live to be drama queens or kings–you know who they are. Perhaps TV is sucking away a lot of your time. Social media is a huge time-sucker for many people. You may experience cravings that cause you to crash after a few hours. Maybe you feel like you’re stuck in a job that isn’t going anywhere or you are always worried about finances or responsibilities that you have no control over. Maybe you have a difficult time saying “no” to people. Your emotional well being is part of what defines health.
#2. Have you identified a few things? Now it’s time to get rid of them! (Or fix them–not later, but NOW!)
It’s so easy to say to yourself that you’ll do xxx later or when you “get a chance,” and then something gets in the way and you forget about it. Does this sound familiar? That’s why NOW is the time to start taking action. Take a few minutes right now and think about this. Then write your answers down! Sometimes just the action of writing lodges the thought into your brain to give you that extra push that takes you to the next step.
#3. Ask yourself what you want in your life—on this day or in this week. What do you want to accomplish? What makes you happy? Who do you want to be with?
Do you want to surround yourself with friends, travel, or start a family? Focus your energy on these things and write them down where you’ll see them every day. Anything that doesn’t fit into this larger scheme… let it go. Your attention should be on what IS good, what IS supportive, and what IS helpful for you to create change. Strengthen your social well being and find positive people to hang out with who will be supportive.
#4. Take action NOW!
Again, there is no better time than right now. Spend just 15 minutes taking care of just one thing on one or your lists. Decide that the next time your sister calls you to complain, you’ll give her only 10 minutes and get off the phone. Limit your screen time and take care of something you’ve been putting off. If you’re on the computer a lot, set a timer for 30 minutes then get up, stretch, or move around. Decide to straighten up the area around you. The trick is to keep continue to take one degree forward, hence the name of my business. Each step forward toward your intention or goal is an accomplishment that you should feel very proud of! Keep the momentum going and let me know how you’re doing.
Ready to dive in and make a few changes?
Give these tips a try and see how much more harmonious your life can be. No balance required….just one step in the right direction.
Get even healthier!
Are you curious about how to get more harmony in your life? Do you have health goals you want to work toward, but you aren’t sure where or how to start? Are you curious how you can fit wellness into your busy schedule? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or share this offer with someone you care about! We’ll help you set goals to eat smart, move more, feel better and live longer.
Did you find this post helpful? How do you achieve harmony or balance in your life? Please share your comments below.
Adapted from Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Cathy is a certified Wellness Educator and Coach with a strong passion to help her clients in their journey to improve their overall health and vitality by searching for the sources of their illness and imbalance. As a Healthy Lifestyle Planner, Cathy shares all of the practical ways people can reduce stress, recover their lost energy, restore their immune system function and manage and maintain their health goals over the years. She empowers people to hit the pause button in life and become more in tune with their bodies by using evidence-based lifestyle interventions to prevent lifestyle related diseases. This type of approach empowers individuals with the knowledge and life skills to make effective behavioral changes that address the underlying causes of their condition.
Cathy is also the creator and director of the Holistic Wellness Academy; an online training platform. The site offers clients and practitioners step-by-step courses that are short and actionable. Each course is loaded with scientifically-backed information, ideas and practical, time-saving tips that empower and motivate people to successfully navigate through all the distractions life throws at us. Participants can also converse with fellow students for extra encouragement. She is finalizing her newest program, “RESTORE Your Immune System.” This program explains why people are struggling to stay healthy and the steps they can take to balance and restore the body back to its natural homeostasis. Today it is so important for people to take back control of their health in order to reverse dis-ease.
