Balance

Life is all about balance, at least for me anyway. I strive to find the middle ground between what I want to do, what I should do, what needs to be done. I truly believe it's the best way to be happy. And my idea of balance is probably different from others...but I feel it's important to find your own balance and make your life as happy and stress free as you can :)

One thing people struggle with, especially moms, is the balance between careers and family. I'm lucky in that I was able to achieve the perfect balance, in my opinion, anyway :) I knew years ago that when we had kids, I wanted to stay home with them. Not a stay at home mom--not that there's anything wrong with that at all--but it's not me. I knew I would still need the satisfaction and accomplishment of a career. But I also wanted the accomplishment of raising my kids myself. Not that I see anything wrong with moms who choose to have a career outside the home and hire a caregiver for their children. But for me, the perfect balance was being home with the kids, but also pursing a successful fulfilling career. I was in a line of work that allowed me that luxury, so I took full advantage and worked from home. It wasn't without it's drawbacks, of course. I did earn less money than I would have staying at my job. But for me, the benefits outweighed the loss of income. I was happy, the kids were happy, hubby was happy. It gave our life a flexibility we wouldn't have had otherwise, especially with the work schedule my husband has--he doesn't have a typical 9-5 weekend off kind of job. For us it was the perfect balance. It's changed a bit over the years and I've changed careers, but it still works.

Another place in life I feel that needs balance is diet and exercise. Obviously it is not in anyone's best interest to eat fatty sugary foods all day every day. It leads to a slew of health problems. But in my opinion, eating what I like is a big part of being happy. I openly admit it- I love to eat awesome food!!!! I'm so not an eat bland food all day every day kind of gal. I like sweet things. I like rich things. I love cheesy things!!! But of course I don't eat them everyday. And I work hard finding new recipes to make and find things we love that are lower in calories and fat. I also go to the gym and exercise very regularly to keep my body healthy. Its good for my heart and off sets the splurge meals I eat occasionally. For me, it's a perfect balance.

Another area of life that needs balance is work and play. Working all day everyday is not good for you, and neither is playing all day every day. We need to work, but we also need to play. Work, obviously, we need to do to earn money to pay for the necessities in life. Play is essential for lowering stress and relaxation, our mental health. Finding the balance is sometimes hard. But I make time for fun, even if it means letting the dishes and laundry pile. I'll never get this time back with my kids. I'll never be this age again and able to enjoy everything. I don't want to be 80 and look back, regretting that I did not make enough time to enjoy myself and my life.

So, how about you guys?? Do you struggle with balance, or have you found it?

Do you ever put yourself first?

These days there are so many pressures in life. Work, appointments, household chores, kids, their activities, etc...the list goes on and on. I think women can sometimes feel the pressure more. There is more expectation to do it all...and perfectly.

I often wonder how many women, and men, put themselves first once in a while. I feel it is so important to do things for ourselves. To be kinda selfish once in a while. I think we need to feel special and do something just for us. Everyone needs a break from their reality...to recharge, not think about the rest of the world.

Me, I take a dance class. It's my one night a week to do something just for me. I love it.

When you have kids, mom is usually the last to get new clothes, shoes, etc... But I make sure to buy myself something new too. I feel better, more confident, when I look good :)

To live a happy life, I think balance is key. And it's okay to yourself first every once in a while!

It's all about balance

I think balance is the thing many people struggled with, especially women. Society expects women to be the caretakers of the family and home. But in today's world, women usually have to also hold a job, whether it be outside the home, or like the lucky ones, working from home.

I used to work full time out in the world. But when we had our first child, I left that job to pursue my other career goals- a home-based floral business. Plus, I wanted to be home with our children. It was the best of both worlds. In the 9 years since leaving my 9-6 day job, I have changed careers, but my new one still allows me to stay home.

I'm working real hard toward a career as a novelist. I'm on my way, but it is a slow process. And logically, the more time I spend working/writing, the faster I will get there. The more books I write, the more books I can get out into the world, and therefore, make money. BUT...am I willing to spend every waking moment at my computer, sacrificing time with my family and friends?? The answer is no.

During the day I do what I can with my time....trying to work as efficiently as possible. There are days I stay on my computer after my daughter comes home from school...hubby will sometimes make dinner. But the evenings are for my family. We do what we need to do. I help with homework, bathe kids, go to extra curricular activities, read with my kids. Then once they're down for the night, it's time for me and hubby to have some relaxation together. It may sound stupid, but we really enjoy watching tv together. We love to laugh together and predict who will win on Chopped.

My husband doesn't work a normal job...he works most weekends. So his "weekend" is often a Tuesday and Wednesday or a Thursday and Friday. If we need to run errands or we just want to spend the day together, I have to also "take a day off". And weekends...even though my hubby is working, most of the world is not. Many times we have things to do on weekends and that takes me away from my writing.

Don't get me wrong...I make good use of my time. I didn't write 37,000 words in 15 days by slacking off. But I will not sacrifice time with my family to further my career. I won't look back at my life when I'm 80 and have regrets.

I'm finding my balance...are you???