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Balance Your Life

By Brad Scott

Balance is important in all aspects of life as well as life itself. We know how to eat a balanced meal, balance time between projects at work, balance the checkbook and even balance a load in the washer. But when was the last time you really sat down to balance your life.

Life balance is essential for emotional harmony. How many hours do you spend at work, in school, with your loved ones, sleeping, or working on your hobbies? This balancing act can be extremely difficult.

I, for example, have been called a workaholic. I have always poured a lot of effort into being successful in my career. While on active duty in the U.S. Air Force I can remember many 20 hour days. Even in my civilian life I cannot count the 6 and 7 day work weeks I have put in. Although this has led me to be very successful, I have been out of balance many times. I have a family, love to travel, work out, draw, paint, and work on cars. There is so much more to my life than work. When I am out of balance, it not only affects me, but others as well. Family, friends, and clients also depend on me for certain things. When I am in balance, I can provide a great service to everyone in my life.

Ask yourself, how much your life is in balance at this very instant. Are you devoting too much time to one particular area and not enough to another? How much sleep did you get this week? How much time did you spend with your loved ones? When was the last time you hung out with a close friend? Did you finish your school or work assignments?

Most of us are out of balance in one way or another. Getting back in balance is not easy, but if we make the baby steps toward a balanced life, we will start to feel better and be more productive. But how do we get in Life Balance?

Here are some life aspects to consider:

This list is not all inclusive, but it is a great place to start. Start by compiling a list of all you life priorities. There is not set number of items. Everyone's list will be different, some will be long and some may be very short.

Next to each priority, write down how much time you would like to devote to each area. There are several ways to measure length of time including day, week, month and year. I suggest a weekly measurement because it will be easy to track and you will be able to see your progress more often. Having a timeline that is too short will only create another burden on your time. Having a timeline that is too long will not allow you to celebrate your successes on a regular basis.

Now next to each priority write down how much time you actually spend in each area. You may be surprised at the results. Most people are very out of balance, and need to take steps to balance their life. Some are closer than initially thought and only require minor adjustments. And a rare few are right on the money.

If you are out of balance, your next logical question is how do you balance your life? Now that you have a starting point as a guide, you must first do a reality check. If you are 30 years old and only want to work 10 hours per week you may have to adjust your other expectations. Anything is possible, but it will not happen overnight.

After your reality check, pick two (2) priorities that you want to adjust. Pick one priority that you are spending too much time on and another you want to spend more time on. Balancing your life requires compromise. Comprise between our desires and sacrifices. For example, you desire to spend more time with your friends on the weekend. In order to do so, you may have to sacrifice the overtime you put in at work. The good part is you are in control of your own destiny. So start by just working on the 2 priorities you chose.

Making life changes is hard. Consistently pick 2 priorities to work on and do not overwhelm yourself. Nor should you try to change all you priorities at once. Balancing your life is just life increasing your fitness level. Slow, methodical changes are easy to accomplish and will last much longer.

Live for the Moment.....Exercise for Life

About the Author:

Brad Scott is Owner and President of Sport and Life Fitness in Melbourne Florida. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Sports Conditioning with the International Sports Sciences Association. With over 20 years of experience, Brad offers a wide variety of fitness solutions for most anyone. Visit him online at www.SportAndLifeFitness.com today and start your fitness journey.