Lead a balanced life

Lead a balanced life

Well, I got the job and I got the girl so things are looking up:)

Not always doing it fully, but at least staying aware of it. The job has helped me to keep this in mind even though I’ve only been working there for a week or so. Partly because the lives of the patients that come through are often rife with imbalances of all sorts, physical, nutritional, what have you. And partly because I’m realizing that to be effective in this job (and I really want to be), I need to have my own life in balance. If I just laze around, eat whatever, drink beers, and watch TV when I’m not working…I’m not “all there” at my job. If I spend all my free time in front of a computer, I feel resentful about being required to do so at my job.

So, in an effort to avoid this, I went for a walk this morning and now I’m gonna go make some gazpacho and some potato salad. Instead of hanging out here all morning…;)

I need to be more balanced.

I need to have more things in my life than just school, food, and television, even when I’m stressed enough that that’s all I think I have time for. I need not to take on QUITE so much so that I can keep my life balanced. Etc. I’m sure many have the same problem.

Soon I’ll have more than 5 minutes at a time to sit down and think. I have a lot to think about – most of it is good, though, I just need to do it.

And, just to be balanced, NOT think for a bit, too.

I took my second Bikram yoga class and I think it’s a really good thing to take at least once a week. I mean, I totally hate it but it’s very cleansing.

You really feel like what ever extra weight or stress you were pulling around just gets dumped. You feel like you’ve flushed everything out so you can start over.

Don’t get me wrong, you’re in 105 heat, sweating and it’s disgusting…but it works.

I succeed in this category through these two approaches:

I never work more than 40 hours unless it has positive consequences.
In other words, I’d rather get fired than succumb to being overworked. However, if there are good reasons to work more hours, I will occasionally bend the rule. For instance, if a coworker is a good friend and it would be a big favor that would make us both smile afterwards, or if I’m really enjoying the project. Otherwise, it’s 9-5 only.

I have broken down my life into 8 key areas, and I work on them each week.
Specifically, I work with a Personal Coach, and when we talk each week, we review my progress in each of the 8 areas and we plan things I can do to improve those areas, with special effort put into the areas I feel are lacking that week.

Spirituality
- personal growth and my contribution back to the world
Resources
- money, time, and energy
Career
- pursuing my true purpose and passion
Significant Other
- finding or maintaining the deepest relationship possible
Fun/Recreation
- taking a break from all the hard work of pursuing goals
Health
- diet, exercise, sleep; all things related to my body
Friends/Social
- pursuing the deep fulfillment which comes from social relationships
Environment
- maintaining a home, an office, and transportation which make me enjoy being in them

OK, so I’ve been absolutely HORRENDOUS about balance in the last 6 months. It mostly has to do with being passionte (at least that’s my excuse) about photography. I’ve achieved amazing results in that area, with 3 of my photos getting the #ONE spot in “interestingness” on flickr.com out of over 20,000 photos uploaded per day.

However, I’ve been very negligent in enjoying my personal reflection and spiritual time. Ditto exercise, art, making music, and on and on.

Yesterday I set up a schedule for myself. My exercise time consisted of finding exercise tapes, hand weights, and a mat. Then I decided I could save about an hour by NOT exercising, ‘cause they I could skip my shower. Not an inspiring start. Today however, I have:

• done 1/2 hour of cleaning
• One hour of flickr(ing)
• 1/2 hour of personal hygene (hey, for me this is an accomplishment!!)
• 1/2 hour of 43things.
• some time socializing on the phone.

My plan is to stick with it, shape and mould my behavior a little more towards the model daily. I hope to spend 1/2 hour on 43things during the weekdays. . .so watch out!

1. Balance a pound of crackers with a pound of crackers – The scale stays balanced, but not very exciting.
2. Balance a pound of feathers with a pound of lead. The scales are still balanced, but it’s much more visually exciting. You just have to have a much bigger volume of feathers.
   Tell me YOUR thoughts on balance.

We don’t make goals for what we’ve done, but for things left undone, for areas of improvement. Right now, I’ts gorgeous outside, and I’m sitting here (like an idiot) writing about balance when I should be outside gardening! I’m going, I’m goin!!!

Those days that are balanced seem so fleeting. I find it much easier to plunge into a project until I’m utterly exhausted. I will explore and investigate this area for growth. There are probably hundreds of opposites that I personally could be paying attention to, things like:

goal-orientation vs. process awareness

mental exercise vs. physical exercise

solitude vs. social activities

I plan to make a longer list, prioritize it, and find a way to become aware of, track, and measure the balance in my life.