Try To Find Balance

Balance - mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.

This is one of the definitions of balance.  But balance in work, family and health is hard to achieve.

A typical scenario is to be swamped in the rigors of the work day, sometimes being interrupted to run a child to the Doctor or Dentist.  Then it is time to go home and open a seemingly empty refrigerator while the family is ‘starving’ for dinner.  There is also the workout that was meant to be done before work, but needed to be delayed until evening, but then got cancelled because you forgot about that school concert or ball game.  

                                  

Attempting to be all things to all people can really drain you emotionally and physically.  Take an honest look at what you need to do and what you would like to do.  If your work income is needed by your family and you can’t back down your work hours, then something else has to give.  Don’t be the one who volunteers for every request for your time.  Look at your available hours after you have work and family time scheduled, then only say ‘yes’ to the things that mean the most to you or that you can do as a family. 

Find at least three blocks of time during the week in which you can be active physically, and guard those times to avoid them slipping away to complete other obligations.  You will find that those times are so refreshing to you both physically and emotionally, that you may increase those blocks to 4-5 per week in order to improve your ability to handle the rigors of the rest of your week.

Balance is possible, but the key is time management.  You cannot maintain a calm demeanor if your schedule is out of control.  Find a tool to keep track of your scheduled obligations, then schedule in family time, work out time, and down time.  Guard and protect those times as you would an important meeting time for work. 

We all have the same number of hours in a day.  Make sure you are in control of those hours or your year will come to an end and you will feel like it was lost.

Begin now to plan what your 2012 will look like. Really take a hard look at the things that count, especially your family and your health.  You will also benefit from keeping yourself spiritually on track.  Speak with your pastor or a trusted adviser, or Agape can help you find a person to get you on the right path.  You are worth the effort!