How To Get Our
Lives In Balance
Reprinted
from
The Indianapolis Star
1/6/02
Many
of us try to get a fresh start in a new year by making resolutions
that will improve or enhance our lives.
We make a valiant effort with the high hope that the
changes we make will last. Then,
life happens.
There
is a way to get in control of our lives and make it last though. I
finally got through the "been there, done that" dilemma
myself, however it did take some rethinking to make my changes
stick.
One
of the first things I realized was that I needed a valid reason to
make a change. I
needed a worthwhile purpose.
A
purpose could be anything from wanting to improve our health in
order to live longer to wanting to keep our room neat so we'd feel
better in it. Whatever
it is, there needs to be a meaningful reason you want something.
For
years, this one friend of mine had wanted to start a new career
endeavor. She had made a few attempts to get started in the past
but never fully carried through with her plans. Then, once she
established why she wanted to do this, what effect it would have
on her life, and what benefits it would have to others, she went
into high gear to launch her new career.
See, she had the driving force to take off -- purpose.
How
many of you know someone who wanted to quit smoking?
This one guy I know tried so many times he was at the point
of feeling completely hopeless about it.
I asked him why he wanted to quit smoking and he said
because he wanted to be healthier.
That's nice, but why did he want to be healthier?
To live longer? At first, yes. But
it wasn't until he ascertained he had a more unselfish motive that
finally got him to stop lighting up: he wanted to do it for others
who cared about him so he would be around longer--for them.
That
purpose carried great weight.
So, I believe if we want something a certain way, we also
need a meaningful reason to have it that way.
Isn't
it all too common that we also find ourselves stuck in a situation
we don't want? When
we get into a rut, it's because we didn't put our attention on the
important things. In
focusing less on the tangible and more on the fulfillment of
things you value, you'll achieve a sense of balance.
To
create an ideal lifestyle for ourselves, we need to structure our
life so that we have time to do those things that have purpose for
us. But as I said,
first we need to determine what our aims are that get us from the
place we are to a final destination where we want to be.
Some
tips for getting our lives in balance include:
-
Change
priorities. Priorities should encompass family relations, personal
enrichment, health, pursuing passions, working toward long-range
goals.
-
Change
the way you operate. Adjust
your normal operating basis to fit in your new priorities.
This could be done by segmenting your day and week with a
routine agenda. Include
the time you devote to work, to family, to personal leisure
activities and friends, to your health, toward your passions and
long-term goals.
-
Plan
your schedule daily. Refer
to those activities that get you from where you are now to where
you want to be.
-
Create
a time plan with a master list and daily list.
Limit the number of things to accomplish in one day.
-
Focus
on your lifelong passions and start to really pursue them.
Life is more fulfilling when you're doing those things
that bring you joy. Direct your energies on doing more
activities that are in sync with your purposes.
-
Do
less what you don't like and do more what you do like.
Many things you don't enjoy doing can be delegated, so
make a list and see what you can enlist another person to do, or
hire someone to do it.
-
Learn
to say "no" to things that don't align with your
purpose. Match time
and resources to the priorities you've chosen.
-
Don't
make work the center of your universe.
Step off the work highway temporarily to regain a sense
of balance.
-
Make
time for yourself. Do
those things that comfort you -- a bath, a walk, reading.
-
Keep
agreements you've made with yourself.
When
you really know what I'm saying, you'll find that it's not so much
about managing time to achieve our goals and pursue our passions.
It's more about managing ourselves.
It's about knowing what we want, and why we want it.
Happy
new year. May things
never be the same.
|
|
ORGANIZED
LIVING
By
Cyndi Seidler |
|