Do You Have a Balanced Life?

Do You Have a Balanced Life?

I just finished reading the book Harmonic Wealth by James Arthur Ray, which talks about harmony in different areas of one’s life. My review of that book will be posted later this week. A lot of the books I have read recently agree that a person cannot achieve perfect balance in his life, so he should not stress about not attaining it.

This past weekend’s NASCAR race at Pocono is a good example of how a driver must compromise to go faster. Pocono is probably the most uniquely shaped track on the circuit. It is roughly a triangle with three completely different turns. In order to be fast around the track, a driver sets up his car to be decent in all the turns but not great in any of them. If he has the perfect set-up for handling turn 1, he will be horrible in turn 3. If he is super fast in turn 2, he will be holding on for dear life in turn 1. The key to being fast around the entire track is to compromise a little here and a little there in the handling of his car.

If you focus on just one aspect of your life, then the other aspects are certain to suffer. This is not always a bad thing: your current priorities dictate that you make sacrifices in one area to succeed in another. Realize that the priorities of the moment will affect your overall balance, and don’t beat yourself up about it. For instance, when I made up my mind that I was going to be sober, I had to focus completely on that. For awhile my career and relationships suffered because I was totally committed to going to twelve-step meetings, praying, meditating and reading about addictions. At that point in my life nothing was more important to me than my sobriety, and I did not mind sacrificing other areas of my life for it.

Likewise, if your career is your priority right now, family and relationships may suffer. You may make it to the gym less often or find yourself rushing through a drive-through for lunch so that you can get back to work. The key, however, is to compromise: focus on one area but contribute to all. Try to be at least decent in all areas. For example, if you cannot eat a healthy lunch because you are working hard at your job, eat a well-balanced breakfast and dinner. Take proper supplements and drink plenty of water. If you cannot make it to the gym because you have so much work, take a brisk walk after work. I personally cannot sit still while I am on the phone. I probably walk 5 miles a day around the office or outside while making phone calls. I get exercise and business done at the same time.

Try to maintain some semblance of balance in your life, but recognize when demands in one area outweigh those in others. Compromise for the time being. If you are extremely disciplined and can hold it all together, that’s great. However, if you are concerned about staying in the fast lane to success, consider hiring a life coach.

Erik Elsea
www.erikelsea.com

Quote of the Day!-“Not everything that can be counted, counts and not everything that counts can be counted.”-Albert Einstein