Life is like living under the bigtop for all of us these days. The pressure gets to feeling extreme. We get that. Family obligations, friends, personal needs and jobs swirl into just too much sometimes. What if I told you there was a way to prevent that overload? Well, buckle your seatbelts and hang on! There is!
Wearing all the
hats isn’t so hard if you learn how to glide through life with a little more
aplomb. It’s true. We are afforded 24 hours a day, and if it is rightly
divided, there is time for all of those hats. Begin by knowing what is important to you. Set priorities. Once you do that, you can eliminate the
trivial and focus on what really matters.
Consider some
simple strategies:
- Time block your week. Schedule in free time. Schedule in work requirements. Don’t forget to call your mom.
- Plan outings ahead of time. A trip to the lake isn’t such a big deal if it’s been scheduled, but dropping everything to take off on a whim? No one is going to be smiling when you get home but you.
- Pay attention to your budget. Impulse spending costs you more than you can afford…not just in interest, and worry, but in neglecting other more pressing needs. So you fall in love with the latest gizmo and just have to get it…and then your front right tire blows and you need to replace it. With what? Uh,huh. Suddenly that gizmo seems far less attractive.
- Streamline daily chores. For example, meal plan a menu you can replicate week after week to reduce the time it takes to shop for and fix a meal. Put away things as you finish using them to keep the clutter to a minimum. Healthy little habits make it a lot easier to balance the big demands of life.
- It’s okay to say, “No,” once in a while. As a matter of fact, it just might be liberating!
Entrepreneur added another very good suggestion: Track
your progress. At the end of each week look at your planner. Were you able to
fit in all your time blocks? Were you happy with the week? Did things spin out
of control somewhere along the way? As you learn to look at your life and
assess what is happening, you’ll learn to control its direction.
Smart folks learn
to find a balance in life that is both productive and fulfilling. The important
thing to recognize is that you are
already doing this! It’s true. You
feel out of control when responsibilities bunch up and overwhelm you, but keep
in mind that most of the time you are a pro. What you want is just a little
more control, and that’s not so hard. The Clark Psychology Group counsels people like you and me every day
of the week, and their outlook is refreshing. “Even though life feels
overwhelming, you are managing.”
You may not glide through the air with the greatest of ease,
but you are a graceful young artist on the flying trapeze of life.
