Life is a balancing act – and sometimes it can feel pretty wobbly!

As I sit here writing on a beautiful Friday morning, on the cusp of what’s forecasted to be a gorgeous fall weekend, I’m pondering the great balancing act called “life.” This weekend, I want to spend quality time with my sweet girl and husband, I want to work on materials for my clients, I want to make some delicious meals, I want to go for a hike in nature, I want to zen out with some yoga, I want to have a long chat with my best friend…um, how many hours are there in this weekend?? “Balance,” come quick – I need you!

We all know how important Balance is. In its most literal form, it keeps us from falling on our face. I’ll never forget the days I spent wondering when my wobbly little toddler would find her Balance – and now she’s a super talented, strong, beautiful teenage dancer! Hold onto this thought. We’ll circle back to how this literal depiction of Balance can serve us in other ways too.

Balance is also supposed to keep us from getting overwhelmed, overly focused on one thing, and even neglectful of important stuff such as our health, family, and that little thing called fun (remember that?). This is the concept of Balance that I’m pondering today. As a longtime work-from-home professional, mom, wife, entrepreneur, all-things-DIYer, I very deeply connect with the struggle to achieve Balance in life. The thing is, I LOVE all the things competing for my attention (okay, maybe I could do without the dirty bathrooms calling out to me). And since they’re all located in one place – my beloved home – their draw never goes away. And this leads us to…my good friend “Balance!”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming to have found the magic formula that will have you and everyone else reading this perfectly Balanced in no time. Nor do I claim to be the Queen of Balance (although I can hold a solid tree pose on my yoga mat). The most helpful concepts I’ve learned to embrace over time regarding life Balance are to give myself grace, be flexible, and try to honor what is truly a priority at the time. And then be willing to throw all the cards in the air when my baby walks in and says she wants to talk.

Circling back to my example of the literal physical Balance my toddler learned and has ultimately developed into a gorgeous talent, this reminds us that Balance (even in its less literal sense) is something we can practice with intention and develop over time. We will fall down sometimes (maybe we let work take over for a bit because of looming deadlines on a big project). But we can pull ourselves back into Balance with intention (we can plan a no-work-allowed family vacation to celebrate surviving the big work project).

As a human who wants to succeed, be happy and healthy, produce great work, and raise a thriving family, I’ll bet you can tend to be a little too hard on yourself sometimes. One way I encourage my clients to start looking at and practicing Balance in a new light is to break things down into what I call the 6 Keys to Wellness: Nutrition, Fitness, Sleep, Work-Life Balance (see, it even gets its own category!), Joy + Gratitude, and Stress Less. Make yourself a little 6 Keys chart and jot down some top-of-the-mind ideas of how you can best focus on each area. For example, maybe you want to start meal planning a bit more so you can focus on your nutrition without feeling unprepared when mealtime comes around or uninspired at the grocery store. This new habit will help you have more Balance in your Nutrition. And for your commitment to Sleep, maybe you can set a nightly alarm that will remind you to start your bedtime routine so you can have enough time to unwind and get to bed on time. Your body and mind will both thank you for infusing more Balance in your Sleep!

The bottom line is Balance is your friend! She’s that best friend, in fact, that’s been there for you your whole life. She doesn’t judge you when you make less-than-great choices. She doesn’t turn on you when you ignore her. She doesn’t expect perfection. She stands by you through thick and thin and is always there when you need her most!

What’s one area that feels a little off-Balance for you lately? And what will you do today to help readjust your Balance? Feel free to share with us in the comments below. Maybe your ideas will be the perfect lightbulb moment for someone else!