I’m telling you. One of the biggest challenges in life is trying to balance a cup of Starbucks in one hand and a newspaper in the other, with a gym bag over my shoulder. In four-inch heels. On a packed, speeding NYC train with nothing to lean on except the sketchy-looking dude next to me. 

I’m being a little dramatic. But, during one of my less eloquent morning commutes to work, I got to thinking about the art of balance. Lately, I’m realizing balance is just that- an art. The concept of ‘balance’ is subjective, and how people seek out that sense of stabilization can vary dramatically from one person to the next. What is balanced to me may feel like chaos to another. For some, balance comes with relative ease (or so it seems). For others, the creation of balance is a constant work-in-progress. 

Regardless of how you go about defining it or finding it, balance matters. In fact, I think it may just be one of the most important things in life. 

I’ve experienced a lack of balance in my life recently. It came as a result of me loving and wanting to do too many things. But, what I am learning is that when you try to do everything at once, you start sacrificing quality for quantity- and in the long-run, taking on too much negatively impacts your ability to be strategic, effective and dependable. 

Though I’m happy to be learning this lesson now, I am still mourning the realization that it’s impossible, time-wise, to have everything and do everything you want at the same time (an I rarely use the word impossible). 

Maybe you can relate? Maybe you too have been feeling the time crunch lately. Have you ever had moments, days, weeks, or months that left you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, confused, or directionless?

If you’ve felt any of those things- and I think at one point or another, we all have- it’s time to start asking questions:

- How am I spending most of my time? 

- Where can I lessen the time I spend on things that have to get done, but don’t necessarily add joy to my life (i.e. chores and errands)?

- What or who do I wish I had more time for in my life? How much extra time do I think I need, and why haven’t I found the time yet?

- What am I doing that is not essential or adding a significant amount of joy or growth to my life (i.e. browsing Facebook or surfing the web – and I know pretty much all of us waste time doing these things!).

It’s usually not easy to cut things out. But, by comparing how you are currently spending your time with how you’d ideally like to spend your time, you may discover ways of maximizing the hours you have in your day. 

I’ve certainly been guilty of this in the past, and I hear people say it almost every day: “There just isn’t enough time.” Well, there never will be. It’s great to feel that way because it shows your motivated by life and have the desire to always take on and learn more. 

But on the flip side, the most productive people in the world get the same 24 hours a day that you do. There are always ways to cut back and make better use of your time- but no one is going to figure that out for you. 

Discover what you value- what brings you joy. Then, think about how to connect all of those things in your life so you can fulfill more than one of your values at a time. For instance, I love writing, personal branding, and disseminating useful and inspiring news. I satisfy all of these things that bring my joy in one of my current jobs at studentbranding.com. 

Find ways to connect everything in your life. Because you are right- there isn’t enough time in the day. Not enough time to spend wasting on things that don’t really matter to you. Not enough time to do things that don’t relate to what you value or what your strengths are. 

So, find better things to include in your life…better things to hold on to. The result? A newfound sense of balance- because when you figure out how to do something you love for a living, or work in an environment where you have the opportunity to develop strong relationships, you won’t feel like you have to sacrifice the things that bring you joy or value just to make a living and stay afloat. 

Just like a moving train, life is fast and there are a lot of twists and turns along the way. It isn’t always possible to keep yourself from tipping over. But, by being thoughtful about how you spend your time, you’ll naturally add things to your life that anchor you, sustain you, keep you sane, level you, and remind you of how blessed you are (and you are). 

Enjoy the ride!