Creating Balance in a Topsy-Turvy World

If the current economic climate has you putting thoughts of work-life balance on hold in favor clinging to your job because it may seem the “safe” thing to do, I challenge you to shift your perspective around that. If we’ve learned anything in the past few months, it’s that what was once considered “safe” is no longer necessarily so. All bets are off, so to speak and the old tried and true ways of the past no longer work in this new world.

Now more than ever you need to reexamine your life to determine if you are living in alignment with your core values. As you start to discover what makes you truly happy you can begin to create a state of balance and order that is uniquely your own. By doing this you begin to take control of your life and become less dependent on the whims of an unstable job market. You may even find this is the perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself!

There are a few simple steps you can take to start creating a balanced life you love. These are steps that can actually propel you towards a life that is in alignment with your goals and desires. A life that may or may not look balanced to anyone else and probably won’t resemble the Wheel of Life pie chart we’ve been told represents the “perfect” balanced life.

1. Make yourself a priority; you’re the only one who will! Take the time to truly listen to your Heart. What is it trying to tell you? What are you most passionate about? What gives you joy?

2. Clarify your Vision; what does a happy, balanced life look like to you? Once you reconnect with what you truly desire, you can begin to clarify your unique Vision. Fill in the colors, sounds, smells and tastes so that it becomes your new reality.

3. Assess your current situation; how closely does it resemble your Vision? Suspend your judgment and look objectively at your current situation to gauge your plan of action.

4. Determine what you can let go of and what you want to enhance. As you continue to make yourself a priority you’ll find it really is OK to let go of what no longer serves you. This makes room for what you want more of in your new balanced life.

5. Put your plan into action. Here’s where the rubber hits the road; what is the one thing you can do right now to bring you more in line with your goals? Fear and uncertainty can be paralyzing and the best antidote to fear is action.

So, let’s spin that old perfectly shaped and evenly distributed, yet motionless Wheel of Life on its axle and give it new a life for this new world. Perhaps that upended wheel could be seen as a top – a top that tilts and twists and teeters, while staying in motion and in balance? And doesn’t that image seem more vibrant, more empowering?

Go ahead - make a start today. You’ll find once you create your own sense of balance you have become empowered to redefine what “safe” means to you and you’ll be able to stay on top no matter how your world twists and turns.