Balance

New thing of today, staying in balance with life, versus trying to do everything I want. At work, they were giving away free tickets to an LA King's hockey game, and I declined to enter my name in the ticket raffle. We've been pretty busy lately at home with personal stuff and I've noticed a lack in things I need to do. House needs cleaning, homework needs doing, walks need walking and groceries need buying. Instead of doing these things we've been watching football, movies, TV shows, eating out, blogging and surfing the internet.

There's pressure and time commitment of school, responsibilities of house ownership, attempt at being a good wife, attempt at staying healthy, work responsibilities and play time. I've neglected a few things in the name of play time. Mainly, I've neglected reading my homework and doing my assignments, so I'm nervous for the weekend - I want to enjoy my life but also make the Sunday deadlines. Oh and there was also the plan to paint our master bedroom but that is now out because we don't have time this weekend with school. My health has been neglected as well. I haven't been exercising or eating right. I had a doctor's appointment and physical today. I was reminded that my entire family has all the risk factors of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, etc. I want to be in better shape.

So because I've replaced my productive activities with fun, I've been out of balance with the other stuff and it's been stressing me out. Fun is fun for now, but the other stuff keeps things even keel. So, I've sort of made a new mantra to live by.

Do what keeps your life in balance.

It came about because, we have so many choices to make every day. What do you do during your work break? Relax and surf the web, or go for a 10 minute walk outside, or read textbook, or catch up on emails and/or chat with a friend? We have way too many things we need and want to do. They ALL need or want doing? So how to choose? Whatever keeps life as much in balance as possible. Perhaps I'll try the metaphor of a multiple seesaw, multiple balance scales or multiple tanks. They are all there and they all need/want filling or piling of stuff. In order for all of it to work, all of them must stay in balance.

So now, the strategy is, to do the thing that needs the most attention or that hasn't been done in awhile. For example, homework is very much in the red danger zone of getting out of control, so I'll do that first. I guess it will be a game of, fill the line to satisfactory, instead of fill just one to the line to full or "exceptional". Perhaps it is mastery of average versus mastery of one. Jane of all trades, in life. I won't be the best friend in the world, but you'll get the call from me once a month versus once every few months. The house won't be immaculate, but it'll be relatively clean. The workout won't be the best one ever, but it will get me out of the house. The reading won't be absorbed completely and the essay won't be brilliant, but it'll take care of itself. I think I really need to stop being the overachiever in what I do. Stop spending the extra hour making things "perfect", and just do it. How insane is that? How do I learn to walk away with "just ok"?

Right now I'm definitely not in balance. The seesaw is out of whack but it's also been a lot of fun :)

So yes, I definitely need to focus more on the balance part. Just doing things and then moving on to the next thing that needs doing versus overdoing one thing. Seesaw is good once in awhile, but balance is key to keeping everything in order. We'll try the balance trick and see if it works. If not, it'll be fun on the seesaw as I try and work it all out.