We come into this world head first and go out feet first; in between, it is all a matter of balance. Paul Boese
Have you ever felt as if your life is out of balance? Perhaps you've become comfortable with the thought that stress and worry are just normal feelings that accompany your normal daily life, and the lives of many other people; friends and family. Or perhaps you've been telling yourself that one day you'll be able to overcome life's challenges, and that life could become more manageable and less stressful.
Not too long ago, I felt overwhelmed and stressed out. There were days when I was exhausted, and even though I felt like I was working all day, I hadn't really been able to accomplish my goals. The house was a mess, dinner was oven-bake pizza or take out, and the day was gone.
In the midst of it all, I felt like somehow I lost my sense of self. My life felt out of control and out of touch. I knew I needed to do something different because whatever I was doing just wasn't working. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and started thinking about ways to change the situation. I knew I needed to set my priorities straight and be more efficient with my time so I read books, wrote down my thoughts, tried different techniques, and whatever else I thought might help. I realized that I was focusing too much of my time and energy on a few things that didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. This realization helped me shift my thought process, and re-think my values.
In my quest for a more fulfilled and balanced life, I would like to take you along with me on this journey and show you what I have learned through my trials and errors, in hopes that you too can find that fulfilling life you are looking for.
If you stick with me in this new series "Organize your way to a balanced life" I promise that you will see the light of the day that you have been hoping for, sooner than you think.
It is time to start taking charge of your life; time to start living a fulfilled and balanced life. Don't let life just "happen" to you.
In this series I will tackle a few road blocks that prevent us from feeling fulfilled in life, and lay out simple solutions to finally live a balanced life.
At the end of this series, you will have learned strategies that will help you:
- Create more time in your life by being more efficient with your time
- Be more productive by recognizing and setting your priorities
- Cut the clutter and Simplify your life
- Stop stressing and start living a balanced life.
To start, try to implement at least 2 of the 3 steps below into your week:
- Menu Plan: Jot down 7 of your all time Family Favorite meals or maybe some quick recipes that you would like to try and make a grocery list.
If you are still having trouble menu planning, refer to my menu planning How-To blog post. Menu planning will help you save money and time, so start menu planning today!
- Read to your kids: Find 10 minutes a day to sit down and read to your kids. This will not only help foster a love for reading but also strengthten the bond between you and your child.
- Wake up 30 minutes earlier at least twice this week: Wake up earlier and enjoy some quiet time for coffee, tea, reading, writing, or just enjoy some quiet time while the kids are asleep.
Now, grab a piece of paper, think about the following, and write down your answers.
- Track your time: write down how you spend your time throughout the day this week. This will help later when we need to tackle time management to become more productive and less stressed out.
- Look at your budget and find one thing that is not a necessity; one thing that you might be able to live without, then write it down.
- Last but not least, take time to answer this question and write your response down: What does it mean to you to have a balanced life? Is it life where you can have time to yourself to do things that you like to do, spend time with your family and friends, have an organized home, or all of them combined? Take time this week to write down what defines a balanced life in your opinion. What do you want your life to look like?
We can all achieve a balance in our lives so stick with me in this series and you too will be able to live the balanced life. It is time to start taking charge of your life to live a fulfilled and balanced life. Don't let life just happen to you.
...to be continued next week
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