Creating balance in your life
Michelle Matthias
The subject of ‘Work-Life Balance’ is one that is commonly referred to in organizational circles, but in this piece, my brief focus will be on balancing our personal lives. Since balancing our lives is our individual responsibility, and since balance is created by the choices we make (intentionally or unintentionally), it’s imperative that we understand that lack of balance may affect and impact our quality of life.
It is very easy to become swept up in the various demands of life. It is very easy to be pulled in so deep, that we feel like we are drowning. I invite you at this moment to take a nice deep cleansing breath and let’s figure out how to gain perspective and insight on what we can possibly do to create balance.
For many of us, the word balance may have conjured thoughts of a see-saw or a scale. But I’m going to choose to highlight the Prioritization Matrix. This is by no means an in-depth explanation but hopefully, it’s enough to get the point across. Truth is, the number of hours in a day is not going to change, the number of days in the week is not going to change but how we use our time can be revised.
To create balance we need to prioritize the use of our time in order of importance and urgency:
- Important & Urgent – Are things that must be done – and must be done now – for life to proceed effectively
- Important but Not Urgent – These things must be done but not necessarily this very minute
- Urgent but not Important – These are daily routine tasks – sometimes they are simply interruptions eg. phone calls, social media …
- Not Urgent or Important – These are the time-wasters when used in excess eg watching TV, talking on the phone, etc.
Prioritization Matrix
This tool when used correctly, can simplify your life and create balance. It helps us to see the big picture; to use our time in areas where we want to be impactful; to be more focused; to be present in the moment; to set healthy boundaries; to confidently say NO when required and most importantly to accomplish goals without sacrificing your health and happiness.
Now, it’s time to take action to figure out what’s important to you and how you can reduce the noise around you and prioritize the demands in order of importance and urgency thus creating balance.
Empowerment Coach
Michelle Matthias
Peace with the inner self is integral in creating balance for the outer self.” Michelle Matthias
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andy says:
Balance brings to mind tranquility and calm. Whether or not we are aware of it, we all strive for balance in our lives. We cannot function and yield the best results in a chaotic and unorganized environment. So it’s important to tweak/make changes and modifications to get ourselves balanced. These changes may be simple but will make big differences in our lives.
We can be more balanced and reap the benefits of it by:
. Using the table presented in the article (prioritizing tasks)
. Having a routine and sticking to it
. Meditate
. Saying no (sometimes saying no to someone is actually saying yes to yourself)
There’s a direct correlation between your physical environment and your mental/emotional state. As the adage goes, ‘A cluttered environment is reflective of a cluttered mind.’ So it’s important that we prioritize and organize our physical space and our tasks so that we can then find that equilibrium called balance and in turn enjoy the benefits.
Lisa montalto says:
Thank you for talking about this subject of balance. I need to reflect on your words of wisdom to
Create balance in my life. It truly helps me and I have every intention on reflecting back to this regularly to remind me to stay on track…..Again, I can’t thank you enough.
Michelle Matthias says:
Thank you Lisa. You are welcome.
Michelle Matthias says:
Andy, thank you for your insightful response.
Melissa says:
This was a really helpful way to step away from anxiety and re-think which tasks need to come first, and which can wait. Thank you!
Michelle Matthias says:
I’m happy that you found this to be helpful.
Melissa says:
Thank you for this! It was a really helpful way to step away from anxiety and re-think which tasks need to come first, and which can wait.
Michelle Matthias says:
👍🏼
Sheryl says:
This post is very well said. It stimulates reflection and reorganization of our daily tasks according to their significance.
Thanks.
Michelle Matthias says:
Your comment is much appreciated. Thank you.
Jen Beckford says:
I most certainly appreciate these quotes because life can become overwhelmed that I simple forget to create a space for myself so my mind becomes engulf. With that said, I will reflect on your words of wisdom and learn to create more space in order to balance my life. Thanks