How do we find balance in our lives?
The million dollar question for those who live life in the fast lane. We are always looking to the next task, always updating our to-do lists, always wanting things to move faster. For some of us, we have to juggle life’s many roles, everything from work and professional expectations to parenting and care-giving of others. Then somehow, we are to find time for health and fitness, prioritizing the ability to workout and eat right to extend our lives and happiness. It's a lot to handle, as it’s hard to juggle all of these “wants” in a life of “have-to’s.” So how can one make time for it all?
Fact: It ain’t easy. Trust me. Sometimes we feel like Gumby, being stretched in so many directions and unsure how to respond. Which task takes priority? What gets set aside to fulfill requirements/needs? Then comes the possible resentment if something is chosen over another … Ah, the wonderful challenge of finding balance and understanding. But good news – there is a way to accomplish what you want while satisfying your “have-to’s”. That way, which may not be the easy way out, is quite basic: you have to prioritize and make time for it.
For health and fitness goals, it may be even harder to prioritize and make time. It’s not easy to wake up early in the morning to make a spin class or skip lunch to run in the heat of the afternoon. It’s not easy to find a babysitter every Sunday morning to complete a long run or drive to the gym after a long day of work. Yet, sacrifices must be made if you want it.
My good friend Erin Taylor, Founder and Chief Ease Officer of Jasyoga, has been inspiring me and many others in understanding the importance of finding the balance in life, where we can all work hard yet relax even harder. Her online mantra of #BalanceFTW is an amazing tagline she uses to spread the mentality of life balance. As Erin explains:
Your body is engineered for balance – finding equilibrium between strength and flexibility, as well as effort and ease optimizes potential in sports and in life. As the pace accelerates and balance feels more elusive, all you have to do is pay attention to what you need day-to-day and moment-to-moment, and most importantly, be willing to respond.
Yes, we have requirements that we must complete to have our lives function and move forward, but we should find activities that will not only clear our heads from life’s daily stresses but also make us happy. Once you find something that you love doing, you will make the time for it – you will want to wake up before the sun, you will want to push-back a dinner date, you will want to skip lunches.
Again, making fitness and health a priority in life is not easy. Sacrifices must be made, but there are incredible benefits from it. My athletic path has been very challenging, but the worth it has in my life makes me want to prioritize working out, which has made me a better person. Finding balance is an everyday challenge, but understanding the importance of such allows me to respond to the wants and have-to’s.
So, in the most simple way, find something that you want to do, that makes you happy, and then make the time for it. No excuses. Sure, naps are amazing and sleeping in is amazing. But achieving a health/fitness goal is much more amazing. The key is to enjoy every minute of it, and get excited for the time you have to find your balance. Sure, you may be sore and hobble around the next day, you may be tired and exhausted, you may have to forgo some wants, but the strength you gain, inside and out, will cure all those aches. And you will go back for more.
