This year is off to a crazy start. Since I kicked off the year by starting a new job, my schedule is all out of whack and I’m still figuring out what normal looks like. Add in my first bulking season, weekends in the mountains, and more travel for work — what was working for me last year just feels off-kilter this year.
Then I had a realization. What has worked for me before might not work for me now. And that’s okay!
I’ve been trying to fit my normal routine into my new routine, but it just didn’t fit. It seems obvious, but shifting my perspective took me a while. I’ve heard from several people recently that balance seems a little out of reach, so I take comfort in knowing I’m not alone. Heck, I’ve been here before!
Thankfully, I’ve found an approach that’s working for me. In case you’re going through the same thing, I want to share my tips with you today.
3 Tips to Restore Balance
1. Identify Friction (Stress)
When I tackle a problem, I like to start by making sure I understand the issue. So in this case, I looked at what was causing the most friction (or stress) in my life. These are not necessarily bad things, but areas I needed to look at differently. For me, I found that my workouts, coaching and blogging were three areas that weren’t fitting in as easily as normal – my areas of friction.
2. Eliminate or Change?
Next was the hard part – should I need to change or eliminate these activities from my life? All three areas are things I enjoy (usually), but not things I HAVE to do. Fitness is a non-negotiable for me, but I don’t have to train for bikini competitions. Coaching athletes in triathlon, running, and personal training is something I enjoy, but it’s something I do out of passion for fitness, not financial necessity. Blogging is a way to connect and inspire, not my job.
[Tweet “Are you feeling out of balance? These 3 tips might help!”]
To be honest, I decided to quit blogging earlier this month. That decision lasted about 24 hours, before I realized it didn’t need to be an all-or-nothing thing. You may have noticed I’ve been cutting back on the number of posts each week. One day a week is what fits my life right now! I also recently shifted to Tuesdays, so it doesn’t cause stress on Sunday nights. Staying flexible here.
For my workouts, I am being more flexible with when I plan my workouts. Instead of my go-to morning workouts, I’m being more flexible with the planning and doing more evening workouts.
Coaching was the easiest of the three, although it is the most recent change. I love coaching athletes and I just needed to find a better time for my big planning blocks. Instead of Sunday nights, we shifted our big planning block to Sunday morning this week (before starting the rest of our day) and it was so much more relaxing and fun!
3. Stay Flexible
Life changes. Staying flexible helps you the friction and stress! Every day is a little different and things don’t always go as planned. Be okay with things not always going perfectly and making mistakes every now and again. There may be weeks that a blog post doesn’t happen, I miss a workout, or my planning block takes more time. Hopefully that’s the exception and not the norm. And if it becomes the norm, it might be time to start the process again!
[Tweet “Be okay with things not going perfectly to help restore balance in your life.”]
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Questions for you:
- How are things going for you – feeling in balance or out?
- Any tips to add that work for you?
