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Balance or rhythm? The complicated life.

 

Work/life balance is an outdated concept. No matter how we live, our lives are a never-ending juggle of responsibilities and joy. The best you can do is manage it and try not to drop anything.

I know a great deal has been written and discussed about work/life balance, but I sincerely believe it is outdated and unrealistic. Quite honestly, I have never believed in it.

I think that all our lives are complicated. They are in this modern world, but there were as well even back in pioneer times. Don’t tell me that babies never got sick at harvest time, or the snows didn’t come too early, or the rains of spring didn’t come too late.

We all have a never-ending juggling act of personal responsibilities and that includes our work, our families, our community and our extracurricular activities. There is never enough hours in a day to accomplish all we feel needs to be done, and we do not have the luxury or power of adding more hours.

The best we can do is manage what we have.

Consider that a traditional life-coaching wheel has eight different segments to manage which includes personal growth, physical environment, work and career, money, romance, friends and family, fun and recreation and health and fitness.

 

As a consultant for more than 20 years, nobody has ever proven to me that all eight segments can, or should, be equally balanced all the time.

What I have discovered and seen in the successful lives of thousands of clients is that each of us has the capacity to develop a work/life rhythm that makes sense to us as individuals. I cannot dictate yours, and you cannot understand mine.

What it all comes down to is setting priorities that are important to us and relevant to our life goals, and then making decisions that are aligned with that vision.

When we develop a rhythm in life that is aligned with our vision and values, it is easier to spot and attract things that are relevant to our journeys and deflect those things that are mere distractions.

As we develop our rhythm, we become more adaptable and flexible. We place priority on certain segments and release ourselves from the burden of having to balance it all.

With this notion in mind, there is no right or wrong rhythm to your life. There is no classified standard set of rules of engagement that go into a life rhythm.

You are the leader of your own life, and only you can set the rhythm for managing time that is right for you.

Choose a rhythm that aligns with owning your awesome and that allow you to lead with confidence, make decisions that are relevant, and have everything aligned to your ultimate goal.

It is okay for children to grow up knowing that sometimes their parents have to work extra hard on a career project to achieve something special. It is okay for employers to operate knowing that certain employees need to take the occasional few hours off to deal with a sick child or attend a school concert.

It will all balance in the end. Sometimes an aging parent needs an influx of attention, sometimes a child just striking out to university needs some extra weekend visits to help get adjusted. None of these situations last forever; they just become priorities, get the attention they need, and then step back into the shadows to make way for new priorities.

It is all part of the rhythm of life.

Paula Morand, CSP is a leadership building, revenue boosting, strategy expanding keynote speaker, author and visionary. This dreaming big and being bold leadership expert and brand strategist brings her vibrant energy, humor and wisdom to ignite individuals, organizations and communities to lead change, growth and bold impact. 23 years, 25,000 clients, 19 countries, 11 books, former radio personality, 10x award winning entrepreneur and humorous emcee.

To check out Paula’s book, “Bold Courage: How Owning Your Awesome Changes Everything” go to Amazon http://ow.ly/i8yW307ix67

Speaking inquiries email bookings@paulamorand.com or call toll-free 1-888-502-6317.