I did a couple of presentations on Mental Performance and Well-Being while in NC.
A question that came up was how I seem to balance everything.
Here’s my answer.
I don’t.
I aim for intentional imbalance. That means I view balance as a process, not an outcome much like riding a bike, treading water, or riding a surfboard. It’s an active process with many conscious and subconscious shifts. And sometimes, you screw it up.
Intentional imbalance means choosing what you want to focus on for a period of time as a primary focus and figuring out how it fits into your vision. It’s impossible to get it right all the time, but simply planning your focus helps you feel more grounded when you have many balls in the air. I’ll go through periods where I’m extra focused on training, extra focused on writing, or extra focused on my podcast, but I don’t focus on them all at once. They will be running in the background where I attend to them in maintenance mode while my primary focus is in producer mode. In fact, I have a note on my phone that has each month of the year with the primary focus and secondary focuses listed.
It’s also a mindset shift to accept you can’t do everything at the highest level at the same time.
A powerful question when it comes to balance is “how do I want to feel?” That question can help inform what area you may need to choose as a primary focus.
I also return to my values when considering intentional imbalance. Are my priorities in line with my values? If I’m saying I want to do something, but my actions are showing otherwise, I aim to figure out how to close the gap. This is also something I do with my coaching clients. By identifying what’s important, clarifying your goals, and taking committed action, you can accomplish a lot!
And here’s a quick reminder that small actions compound over time. With the lens of having balance, sometimes we feel like we have to do a lot of something to make a difference. There are circumstances where you do have to do a lot all at once, but most of the time, consistent small actions make a huge difference.
