As the summer appears to have created some sense of normalcy for a lot of us, many have also fallen back into the routine of busyness again. Not bad if you are great at creating balance for yourself. However, if you find that you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, this means you have too much on your plate and are overextending yourself. So, what is one to do when you are in this predicament? I love the quote by Jana Kingsford, “Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.” In this spirit, below are a few tips to help you do just that.
Prioritize - Give yourself permission to put tasks off until you have the head space and energy to do it. A great sanity check is to ask yourself, “what is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do this task right now?” If it’s a deadline that has crept up, then you have another issue to work on perhaps…procrastination. Otherwise, deprioritize those things that can truly wait until another day during the week to get it done.
Set Boundaries – What would happen if you said “no” to something that was being asked of you? Nine times out of ten, there are others who can complete the task, but we hate saying no for fear that we will either disappoint the other person or not feel needed any longer. You must set healthy boundaries if you want to achieve balance in your life.
Ask for Help/Delegate - Why do so many people hate asking others for help? For some of us it is a control thing **clears throat**. Others may view asking for help as a sign of weakness. Bottom line, if the task is taking you much longer than you would like, you should ask yourself if there is someone else who can assist to lighten your load. Better yet, if you have the authority to do so, delegate. You may be creating an opportunity for someone else to develop and learn. Now remember that you need to let them do it their way. It’s about getting a task completed...not getting it done your way.
Take Breaks – Sometimes you just have to walk away from something and come back to it later. I find when I do this, I can then give my undivided attention to the task at hand. My mind is clearer and my energy level is much higher.
Plan – One of the best things that I do for myself is set aside time to review my work calendar weekly every Friday with my assistant. I can hear his voice in my head as I type this blog “Michelle – are you attending both of these meetings at the same time?” Of course, I know I can’t. However, to hear him say it, reminds me that I need to make a choice and stick with it. I also review my personal calendar typically on Sunday evenings. When I have a heavy work week, I try my best to schedule some “me” time in the form of a spa treatment or even dinner with a friend and a rule that we will NOT talk about work.
I hope something shared makes you realize that the power is in your hands to create the balance that you so deserve. You must move beyond thinking about it. You must be about it as well. This means taking action by any means necessary. Your mind, body and spirit will thank you for it later.
If you need assistance with balancing, consider coaching. You can book your complimentary appointment via my website - https://www.mybesteveryday.com/book-online.
Michelle Biggs is the Founder and CEO of My Best Every Day Coaching & Consulting, LLC.
Click the link below to learn more about Michelle.