Many people believe that that there’s no such thing as a balanced life. Actually, I have a hard time believing that there is such a thing. Furthermore, some people might prefer a life that’s unbalanced- because they are in pursuit of something that needs 100% focus and attention. Unfortunately, hyper-focus over an expended period of time can be unhealthy and very unpopular! In general, A well-balanced life is a worthwhile objective for many people.
What is a well-balanced life?
It’s a life that has all the resources and activities that you most desire. It largely avoids feelings of sacrifice. A balanced life isn’t for those that want to be the best in the world at something. It’s not for the people that live on the edge or the fringe. Contrarily, It’s for regular people that want to enjoy all aspects of life, rather than focus on one thing.
In short, a balanced life contains everything you want it to contain.
All balanced lives have several things in common:
- Finances. When you’re struggling to pay your bills, your life feels unbalanced. If you can’t do the things you most want to do for financial reasons, your life feels unbalanced. If you are spending all of your waking hours trying to make enough money, your life feels miserable.
- You don’t need to be wealthy to have a balanced life, but you should decide how much money you need to feel secure. To gain financial balance, set a savings goal and put money toward it each pay period. Remember, you should pay yourself first!
- You don’t need to be wealthy to have a balanced life, but you should decide how much money you need to feel secure. To gain financial balance, set a savings goal and put money toward it each pay period. Remember, you should pay yourself first!
- Transportation. Feeling balanced and in control means you can you get where you need to be, when you need to be there. Remember, transportation can take the form of walking, public transportation, ride services, friends, or your own vehicle.
- Reliable transportation is an important part of feeling balanced and in control of your life. Remember, sometimes having a car is just a liability. It may be better not to own one in some situations. If not, remember to plan ahead for transportation if you do not have your own.
- Reliable transportation is an important part of feeling balanced and in control of your life. Remember, sometimes having a car is just a liability. It may be better not to own one in some situations. If not, remember to plan ahead for transportation if you do not have your own.
- Friends. Some people might need ten friends; for others, one might be plenty. However, we all need at least one friend. Humans are not meant to do everything alone.
- Intimate relationship. Intimacy is optional for many people, but entirely necessary for others. Remember, Intimacy comes in many forms. Weather you are looking for physical, spiritual, or emotional intimacy, most of us do better if we have an intimate relationship, or a relationship with the potential to become intimate. Busy people often mistakenly neglect this area of their life.
- Health. Poor health can quickly change the direction of your life. Prevention is the best way to a well-balanced life that includes a healthy mind, spirit, body, and soul. With this awareness, it’s important to know that over 70% of chronic illness can be prevented with healthy life style choices! That leaves only 30% of your health that isn’t 100% under your control! So, remember, you actually have more control over your health outcomes than you’ve probably been exercising.
- Time. When you don’t have enough free time, your life feels unbalanced. Since time is one of the only non-renewable resources we possess, it’s important to decide how much free time you need to feel good about yourself and your life. That amount is different for everyone. However, if you don’t have time to do the things you really want to do, you should consider reorganizing your schedule so you get the most out of your precious journey.
- Fun. Everyone needs to have some fun-more than just once in a while. Without thinking too hard, make a list of five things you like to do for fun. Make it a point to do at least one of the fun things from your list weekly-if not daily!
- Personal growth. Progress is part of feeling whole. We feel great when we’re making, growing, learning, and expanding our view of the world. Again, write a list of three ways you have grown and changed in the last six months. For example, I have been watching Brendon Burchard’s Growth Day Videos to develop High Performance Habits with my son. If you cannot think of any, write down three ways you want to change in the next six months.
- Career. Making money is one thing. Choosing your career path is another. Although, they can be closely related, choosing haphazardly can create an unhappy and unbalanced life. If you make plenty of money, but hate how you make it, your life is not as pleasant as you deserve it to be. Choose wisely- be sure you pick a path you enjoy with people you will enjoy associating with!
Do you have a balanced life? It’s not always easy to know, but if your strive for these things, balance will be much closer than you think:
1.Do you have the money and time to take care of yourself, your family, and to do the things you most want to do?
2.Do you have the social life you desire?
3.Do you have enough time in your week to have fun and grow personally?
4.Do you enjoy your career?
Now, you have a checklist to assess if your life is balanced or not. If it’s not, decide what are you going to do to re-balance it! Remember, persistence beats resistance, every time!
