how busy houstonians can begin to find a sense of calm and balance

So what  is this whole balance thing everyone talks about?  Houston is a bustling city filled with busy people. You deal with traffic, deadlines, meetings, parenting, errands, and at the end of it all you feel like there is no down time.   How do you find time and learn to have balance in your busy life?  

There was a point in time when I thought that there was a one size fits all approach to work-life balance.  I assumed I could just figure out some schedule that worked to give equal amounts of time to the important components in my life.  In the early days of starting my Houston based business, the problem became very apparent that this approach is not only unrealistic, but also ungratifying.  I was somewhat obsessed with my work and extremely busy getting everything up and running.  I believed that I had to hustle all the time to be successful.  I know differently now. 

A few things I’ve learned to bring balance into my life:

1. Work-life balance will look different for every person and even then, it will shift from day to day. 
2. Learn to say no.  This takes practice for sure, but learning to say no to the things that don’t bring enjoyment or bring you closer to your goals will only leave you feeling resentful.  Now this is not to say that you should never make commitments for things like volunteering, or performing acts of kindness.  You must consider your personal goals as well, and if that means creating a great community, make time for these things, but know that is okay to not say yes every. single. time. 
3. Identify what you need as self-care and make time for it.  I know “self care” gets overused, but you really do need to figure out what recharges you.  Maybe it is a walk alone.  Maybe it’s having a glass of wine with friends.  Whatever it is, put it ON your calendar like you would any appointment, and make it happen.  
4. Let go of the guilt.  Whatever you are carrying guilt around for, just leave it behind.  It serves zero purpose. Easier said than done, I know, but seriously, it does no one any good.
5. Having balance in your life doesn’t mean that sometimes you won’t be thrown off during a busy season.  It’s important to know this is normal and be okay with it and simply try to get back to a place where you are able to give attention to each area of your life.

I’ve learned to prioritize.  I’ve learned when to say no.  I’ve learned to pay attention to the things that truly recharge me and do more of those things.   This doesn’t mean that I won’t have busy seasons that will throw the balance off a little; that’s totally normal.  I will just get back to a place where I am able to give attention to all of the important areas of my life.  Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I have learned to give gratitude and celebrate all the small successes along the way.  This feeling of joy and achievement allows me to live a truly happy and balanced life.