One of the things I have struggled with the most in my life is balance. When I get excited about something, I get really excited. One hundred percent, completely, head-over-heels, obsessed excited. I give it my all. It’s not a terrible problem to have; it keeps me motivated and gets me excited to move forward in life. When I have momentum, I really have momentum.

But there were 2 problems with my get-obsessed-with-it manner of living life:
1). If I lost momentum, I would lose ALL momentum and get stuck in a rut (and never finish the project).
2). In order to be wholeheartedly present with a particular project, I’d give up other aspects of my life.

So I’ve learned something important about what balance means to me. I have to do a little of everything, continuously, to keep the momentum up. I’m big on routine, which means if I do something once or twice, I’m in! I can totally keep up a new habit. But if I get out of the habit once or twice, boom. Done. I’m out.

So for me, balance means I have to keep variety in my life, every day, and all day long. Learning this was actually kind of counter-intuitive, because you hear a lot of people advise you that balance means NOT necessarily doing something every day, and that if you do one thing to much, you’ll get burnt out on it and you won’t feel balanced. So I would be like, “I’m going to start working out, but only 2 times a week. I don’t want to burn out on it.” Or “I’m going to start journaling, but not every night, because I don’t want to get burnt out on it.”

And then you know what? I wouldn’t do it.

So for me, balance includes either doing something I love every day (so I don’t get in the habit of not doing it and stop doing it altogether). If it’s not something I can do every day, I make sure to schedule it in my week. Whether it’s family time, practicing the violin, getting together with friends, I schedule it in to my week or month.

Here are the things I have to do every day to make me feel balanced:

• Exercise
• Have at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted time in my morning
• Create: write in a journal, paint, draw, sew, make music…
• Connect with friends (whether it’s with a couple of quick texts, in person, or on Facebook)
• Eat well (if I skip meals or eat like shit, I don’t feel balanced in any way)

And these are the things that if I stop doing them one day, I am likely to say, “well, I don’t have to do it today either…” and I lose the momentum.

So when you think of balance, what is it you need? Don’t listen to what everyone else tells you. Listen to what your body and your mind tell you.

Here are some things to ponder:

• When does your body feel achy, in pain, or just off?
• When does your mind feel foggy, unclear, or irritable?
• When does your body feel its best?
• When does your mind feel clear, focused and happy?

So what is it for you? What makes you feel balanced?

I have a special gift for you!

Click on the image below to print out the journal page that will help you get your ideas down on paper.

Once you know what helps you feel balanced, take action, and do these things when you need them. And the best thing about the journal page? It doubles as an adult coloring book, so you can simply put some color to the paper and zone out if you’re just not feeling like writing.

Click here to print the Journal Page: