Balance. On a beam, or in Life?! Old Term, New Meaning.

After all the coaching study these last couple of months (by the way we are in the second quarter of the year, congrats to everyone for making it this far!), I have come up with a word we know very well, however, what does it entail? Balance. We’ve heard the terms “balanced diet”, and we know yogi’s love balance, for example, balancing on one foot, or balancing our body on our hands. Likewise, coming from a gymnastics background, gymnasts “do” balance, for example, balancing on the beam. No wonder this term is so meaningful

for me! If one can balance in yoga and gymnastics (on the beam), then one can surely achieve balance in life!

A balanced diet is a good starting point, and very useful way to view balance. A balanced diet, for me, is some healthy foods, normal number of calories in each meal, and occasionally, or sometimes, a favourite sweet food, or packet of chips. The sweet meal or chips, allows for enjoyment in my diet. I eat the “junk” food, and normal meals, without gaining weight. After all my diets, and obsessions with losing weight and eating healthy, I now know it is “okay” to have a packet of chips!

What about a balanced mind, and balancing my time, for a balanced life?  There is a time to put my feet up, and a time to work for hours on end. There is a time to write seriously while studying, and a time to write for fun! A time to study, and a time to socialise. A time for family, and a time for myself. A time for chores, and a time to connect. There is even time for scrolling, time for posting, time for texting friends, etc. Like me, people have so many things to do in a day, or week. It's time to balance your eggs and not put “all eggs in one basket”, rather, divide our activities in different baskets – achieving balance!

We’ve heard of work/life balance, work and play balance. It’s that simple. What areas of your life need balance? Is it more rest, more play, or more work? What we do with our time varies greatly, however, have you ever thought that maybe balance is the new healthy? What areas have you achieved balance in? What we focus on, grows!

How did I make balance happen for me?! I started the year with activities I most wanted in every day, wrote them down, and practised them. Now, I go through the activities each day and do what feels right. I feel a coaching tip here: write a daily to-do list, and write daily goals, that contribute to a dream! Each day is a new beginning.

In conclusion, all work and no play, is not motivating, all work, and no rest is tiring, and all friends with no family, is… well, empty! So, think about it, what eggs do we have in our baskets? Balance corresponds with thriving and being authentic. So, ensure rest from working too hard, and take time to relax and unwind each day.