The Mindset You Need to Ditch If You Want to Find Balance
“I wish I had more time!” “If only there were more hours in the day!”
If you’ve utter these words on more then one occasion than you are not alone. So many of us struggle to find that balance in our lives between work, taking care of our families and ourselves.
So often you’re running around, your brain is going a million miles a minute and by the end of the day you’re completely wiped out. Yet, ever feel like you’ve been working so much and by the end of the day, got barely anything accomplished?
Where did the day even go?
If you’re feeling run-down and overwhelmed with your never-ending to-do list, then it may be a good time to check in with how you are approaching your work and day-to-day routines and tasks.
So, what’s the mindset that you need to ditch if you want to find balance?
The mindset you need to ditch if you want to balance is the need, the personal pressure, to do ALL the things- the all-or-nothing mentally. Do you put an unnecessary amount of pressure on yourself to be there for anything and everything?
We love this quote from Patrick Lencioni, “If everything is important, then nothing is.”
Think about that. If you’re trying to give all of yourself to all the things, then what’s really important won’t possibly be able to get as much attention as it deserves.
Now that you know what mindset to ditch, how do you go about actually doing it, especially when social media puts even more pressure on ourselves to be everywhere and do everything?
Narrow in on what’s really important. Set SMART goals for yourself and determine where you need to devote your time to achieving those goals. Try breaking up your goals into work, family and health. Write down your WHYs along with your goals as a reminder for why you need to give them priority.
Be creatively efficient with your time. Set aside time in your schedule for those high priority tasks that will help you achieve your goals. Put it in your calendar and set a reminder for yourself to you get them done. Want to make your health a priority? Book your classes in advance. Want to spend more screen-free time with your family? Put it in your schedule and then put the phone down.
Identify your biggest time wasters. If you struggle to find enough time for those important tasks, but at the same time often find yourself getting sucked down the instagram rabbit hole, then you may want to take some time to identify those time wasters. Schedule time in your day to check your email and social media then be sure to only check them during those times. Set timers for yourself so you aren’t tempted to keep scrolling for hours on end.
Create buffers in your day and TRIM TRIM TRIM! So often we are trying to cram too much into our days. If you’re running from activity to activity and from task to task, then it may be a good idea to create time buffer time. Overestimate the amount of time you’ll be spending on an activity or task in case you do end up running over. Then, take a look at your schedule and see where you can trim. Look at your tasks and to do list and ask yourself, “Is this a priority?” “Will this help me achieve any of my goals?”
Find some time for YOU. When you’re creating your goals and your to do lists, don’t forget to include yourself. Your health and your well being should be up there on the top of your priority lists. When you are taken care of, when you are well rested, when you are filled with nutritious foods and have energy from exercise, you’ll have more energy to accomplish your goals.
