Balance in Life: What Do I Want More Of?

It’s real easy as a mom to focus on everyone else’s needs. We want everyone to be happy and feel loved. But neglecting yourself doesn’t lead to much balance in life for you. I can hear it now – “Me? I don’t have time to think of me. I’m fine.” Really? If you think your needs are any less important than the other members of your household, I beg to differ sweetheart. I want to challenge that thinking a little.

Taking care of everybody else is great. Yes, it can be very fulfilling – for some. But if all you do is take care of others and ignore yourself, you’re heading for disaster. Let’s re-route that train and take a minute to think of yourself (And NO, before you go there – that isn’t selfish!)

I want to help you dream a little…Ask yourself this very simple question, “What do I want more of?”

There are no right or wrong’s here. It could material things. It could be relationships. It could be time. Whatever pops into your head. These thoughts are giving you clues to things you are missing when it comes to having more balance in life.

Here are the practical steps to take:

1. Set a timer for 5 minutes. C’mon, you can give yourself 5 minutes!
2. Ask yourself that question – “What do I want more of?”
3. For the next 5 minutes write down everything that pops in your head. Don’t censor it. Don’t question it. Don’t worry if it sounds crazy or you think it’s impossible. Just write.

Now what? Look through your list critically now. What themes or patterns do you see? Don’t pay attention to the individual items you wrote, just look for the broad patterns. Are you noticing you want things that are solitary? Do you need more beauty around you? Really drill down and find those commonalities.

Once you’ve done that, go back and re-read all of the individual items. I want you to put a star next to the 3 that you feel the strongest pull toward. Again, don’t judge them or try to figure out how to do them. Just be honest with yourself.

Finding balance in life is a process not a one-time event. Now, all I want you to do is take those items that are starred and the themes/patterns you noticed and write them on a separate sheet of paper. Hang that paper somewhere you’ll see it regularly. Don’t necessarily worry about doing any of those right now. Just let your mind think about them and the possibilities they hold.

Here’s the fun part…Share below what you got out of this exercise! I want to hear what you came up with! C’mon – don’t be shy. Let’s celebrate this first step in you finding a little balance in life.