Last week I began writing a series of articles based on Becoming a Founder and some of the key ‘ingredients’ I believe are important to achieving your life goals - personal and professional.
This week I want to focus on balance.
How do you strike a balance in your life?
Are you currently achieving balance, if not, what’s missing?
As well as juggling being a mum and having to work from home now for almost 2 months due to lockdown in Malaysia, creating balance to keep your mind rested, relaxed yet optimised is critical. We need time to restore.
What do I do to ensure I strike balance in my life and current environment?
Rest - It’s crucial. You can’t run on empty. You need downtime. You need enough sleep. You need to step away from work. If not finishing your task list for the day means you get the extra hour you need to sleep so that you wake up bright and full of energy then this is what you need to do. You will create more space to get that list finished. If you don’t you risk being overwhelmed and this could lead to lack of clarity and creativity, procrastination and anxiety. Trust me, I speak from experience!
Which leads into...!
Schedule - set yourself a realistic schedule in your diary. Don’t give yourself too much. If you value achievement (I do!) That's good but you need to be real with what you can and can’t do in a day. Don’t punish yourself if you don’t finish your list, instead reflect on why you are not getting things done - are you not planning properly? Are you overestimating how long certain things take? Use that information as guidance when mapping out your days.
Connect - spend quality time with loved ones. Although I miss seeing my family - it's been about 18 months since I last saw them in person, I’m so grateful for skype! I get my weekly skype calls in with them and my brother as well as mid week check ins!
Health - get some fresh air every day. Even if only for a few minutes it makes all the difference. Eat well, drink lots of water, get the occasional treat in and don’t feel bad about it! And move! Even if it’s a short walk, doing some stretches at home or dancing (I dance with my daughter!) - it all helps.
Meditation - I really notice when I stop meditating. So I make sure I incorporate it into my daily habits, it’s centering, calming and grounding. Just what is needed in times like this.
Take yourself off/away from your phone and social media. The irony is not lost on me that I’m writing this for a social media post! Social media can be great but it can also be triggering. The current news is depressing. Removing yourself from your phone and social media for a couple of days will be uplifting.
Have a self care tool kit! Take your mind off what is going on and do something that brings you joy or laughter such as reading a great book, watching a comedy or great series on netflix, listening/dancing to music or a great podcast, whatever makes you feel good!
In short, it's crucial to keep an eye on yourself when you are an entrepreneur. You must spend time on yourself. You must fill your own cup to overflowing then you have more than enough to give to others. Your energy is everything! You are what you attract and maintaining balance is critical - people pick up on energy.
It’s not easy when you are busy to find room for balance - I still find it very difficult when I know I have a lot on, to allow myself time to rest and rejuvenate. But not doing so will lead to outcomes that won’t be favourable to yourself or your business.
You need to schedule these in your diary if you haven’t already.
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