Balancing vs. Balance

What comes to mind when you think of the term balance? 

Balance is often used in workplace wellbeing discussions - 'work-life balance' - some would even say the term is overused. At times work-life balance can seem like this ideal destination where we have found the perfect amount of time that we spend in each area of our lives. Be it health, family, friends, learning, career, spirituality, relationship, fun, money or contribution, there's often many things we want to do and goals that we have, yet we are limited by a finite resource: time. 

While listening to a recent 'Daily Trip', Jeff Warren suggested that perfect balance in fact does not exist, because life around us is always changing. So rather than aspiring for balance, it's more powerful to embrace the notion that life's a process of making continuous little adjustments. We live in a dynamic state of ongoing balancing, rather than striving for balance as an outcome to achieve. The concept of balancing enables us to shift our perspective from fixed to fluid. Balance is either something we have or we don't have, while balancing is active, it's a state of doing. At any given moment, we are balancing.  

I've been asked many times this year how the transition back to work full time from maternity leave has been and funnily enough I've often found myself saying 'It's going well! We have found a great balance'. On reflection what this really means is that the act of balancing has felt manageable, required adjustments have been small and we are balancing effectively as individuals and a family.  

At any given moment in our lives we have an opportunity to ask ourselves 'How am I balancing?'. 

• How am I balancing my priorities?
• How am I balancing my strengths?
• How am I balancing my values?
• How am I balancing my emotional state?

As we consider each these questions we should also ask ourselves 'What little adjustments do I need to make for my priorities, strengths, values and emotional state to be in alignment with my longer term goals?'

There are several great tools you can use to assess your own balance. My favourites include the life wheel, my CliftonStrengths report, motivations solitaire, Daylio and reviewing my list of values to establish what aspects of my life and myself need more attention. What needs to be dialed up? What needs to be dialed down? Am I spending my time in alignment with my priorities? Am I using each of my strengths effectively throughout my life? Am I truly living out my values?

Once an aspect is identified, it's time to determine the tweak or change that needs to be made and how this will impact the other areas of your life. A new action can't take place without another action being affected. This is balancing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on balancing vs. balance. Is perfect balance an illusion? 

Take a moment today to reflect and ask yourself, 'How am I balancing?'. What do you need to do to get better at the art of balancing?

Feel free to share and any wins, challenges or aspirations you have in this space. It's always great to hear your thoughts.