In my late twenties I remember feeling that I could only do 2 of 3 things well at one time and I had 3 categories – health, career, and family. I was in shape and my career was great but the family stuff not so much. Or I was doing well with my career and family responsibilities but neglecting my health and wellbeing. Just the thought of having it all balanced out amongst the three exhausted and overwhelmed me. Many years later I discovered there were more areas of life than just 3. Wait, WHAT?! I can’t seem to manage 3 well, there’s more?
There are multiple categories of life to look at – Relationships, Health & Wellbeing, Wealth, Contributions, Business / Career, and Spirituality. My overwhelm was from thinking that I had to have them all balanced perfectly all the time. I now know that it’s not about perfection. I do not need each category to be balanced exactly, nor does each one have to be rated a 10 out of 10.
The point is I get to choose what my categories of life look like. I decide what areas to make priority, where I will put in more time and energy, and what areas will be lower down on the scale. Really it’s about what works for the individual. Raising a family and going through the different stages – babies, school age, teenage, and adult years will all have an impact on my categories. Things will rise up in life and it’s ok if I divert some energy and attention from another area when it’s needed and then I can recalibrate when things calm down. Being able to accept that the balance of my life is not set in stone and never needs to be ‘perfect’ definitely helps me have more peace in my life!