Stop driving yourself crazy trying to attain the illusive notion of life balance. Like perfection, it simply doesn’t exist.
Can you be at peace at certain moments and for periods of time in your life? Certainly. But, be honest, in each day, how often are you feeling like you have it all in balance – relationships, finances, career, friends, family, fun, healthy eating, being physically active?
So many clients I work with – surgeons, other coaches, cancer survivors, caregivers, healthcare executives – juggle so much. It’s often hard to take a full day, never mind a complete weekend, off. I’ve noticed recently that on days I have scheduled off to recover and re-energize, when work things have come up, I felt I was compromising my value of self-care. I realize when I take that kind of perspective, I create conflict for myself. I can judge myself for not walking my talk.
What’s my solution? Now, I focus on integration. If coaching tasks or calls come up during after hours, I now see them as something I choose to integrate into my down time. Instead of a weekend day being a whole day off doing personal things, I allow slices of it here and there for completing what needs to be done to keep programs going, clients supported, and business growing. It is, after all, all a part of me, who I am, and what I love to do.
Don’t balance…integrate…and see what changes for you when you take away the stress of trying to achieve the unattainable.
