#CarrieOn : Balance
This blog entry is geared towards all of you working moms out there ~ but I think it is applicable to everyone.
“How do you balance everything?” is a question I am asked often. When my kids were younger, balance was a key focus for me. I felt the need to equally distribute myself across the many landscapes of my responsibilities. However, as my kids have grown up (and subsequently as *I* have grown up with them) I am no longer so committed to the balance, per se, as I am to allowing myself to succumb to the natural ebb and flow of life.
When you try to balance, you find yourself sacrificing minutes, effort or attention from one area to give to another. That instantly ignites the guilt associated with not keeping everything balanced. So there, on top of losing that coveted ‘control’ over the balance because all things CANNOT remain equal, you now struggle with guilt on top of the frustration. Does this sound familiar? It can be a vicious and destructive cycle.
Please stop trying to balance your life. Instead, allow yourself to move with the ebbs and flows that naturally come with life. A good friend of mine, Kelly Croy, once said “You cannot control the waves, but you can control which ones you choose to surf.” That really resonated with me and I hope it does with you too.
There are going to be days when your job needs more attention. That is ok.
There are going to be days when your kids need more attention. That is ok.
There are going to be days when your spouse needs more attention. That is ok.
There are going to be days when YOU need to give yourself attention. That is ok.
There are going to be days when your day’s plan falls apart. That is ok.
There are going to be days when your week’s plan falls apart! That is ok too!
In the ebb and flow of MY life, I allow myself to let the laundry pile up when I have to. I allow myself to not freak out when the floors haven’t been vacuumed. I give myself permission to sleep when I need to. I allow myself to leave my office when my kids are home or have an event. I allow myself to stay at work when investing more time will result in completing a task will free me to leave in peace. I permit myself to pick up dinner when I’d rather spend the time with my girls than cleaning up the kitchen (sometimes two days in a row!) I accepted the fact that hiring someone to take care of my lawn is actually an investment in my time and available energy, not a pretentious luxury.
Balance will always be an exercise in resistance training. Rather, be aware of your life’s bigger picture and allow yourself to enjoy the waves. #CarrieOn