We hear so much about balance in entrepreneurship and finding that balance between work and life, but have you defined what balance means for you? In today’s episode, I’m sharing three steps that you can take to help you create your own definition of balance.
Today’s episode was inspired by Christy Wright’s book, Take Back Your Time. If you’re ready to dive deeper into the topic of time and balance, I highly recommend this book!
Called to Both is brought to you by Joy Michelle, mom of two and multi-passionate entrepreneur who’s on a mission to help others find balance between the worlds of motherhood and business. Called to Both is the podcast for women who have big business ambitions and also want to be intentional and present moms. At Called to Both, we truly don’t believe you have to choose between these two worlds tugging at your heart You can be Called to Both.
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3 Steps to Creating Your Own Definition of Balance
We often hear that balance doesn’t exist and I believe that’s just a misconception based on the idea that balance in work and life is a scale. I like to look at the concept of balance as a pie and all of the different things you’re trying to balance are represented by slices. Now all these slices are different sizes at different times, depending on the season that I’m in.
“Balance isn’t about doing all things equally. It’s about doing the right things at the right time.” – Christy Wright, Take Back Your Time
What are the right things and when is the right time? The answer to that is different for every single person. Now it’s important that you know what your own definition of balance is so that you can select what you’ll do and when you’ll do it in order to make balance work for you. Let’s review three steps you need to take in order to define your own balance.
Identify What Makes You Feel Out of Balance
Sometimes it’s easier to answer the question of what makes you feel out of balance, because it’s an easier way to get your brain thinking rather than focusing on what makes you feel balanced. When your overwhelm is at an all time high, and you have that feeling of complete misalignment, misplaced priorities, or focusing on too many things, that’s the feeling you want to identify.
Once you’ve identified these things that make you feel out of balance, write them down so you can take action on them.
Get Clear on Your Current Season
When we look at your current season, you need to be looking at both your life and business. These are connected, because your business and life will overlap and effect each other. You may be spending more time in business working on big projects or you may be in a season where you need to step away from business because you have little ones at home without childcare. Whatever your season is, make sure you’re clear on it and understand the responsibilities that come with it.
There is no wrong answer here; it’ll be different for everyone.
For example, in April 2021, I was in a hustle season with a website relaunch and preparing things in my business for when my baby arrived. This meant that my business slice of the pie grew while everything else shrunk. When we flipped the calendar to May, that hustle in business slowed down, that slice of the pie shrunk, and I went into baby prep mode for my baby boy’s arrival. In this short amount of time, I was able to shift the balance of my pie based on the needs in my business and life at the time.
Identify What Makes You Feel Balanced & Decide Who You Want To Be
In order to define what balance means for you, you have to consider what you’re aiming for and what actually makes you feel balanced. When you’re thinking about times in which you felt balanced, think about the responsibilities in your life and how they felt or looked. This could mean your home, schedule, self-care, help, etc.
Don’t just focus on the things you do or want to do, think of who you want to be. Write down three to five statements of words that describe what that means for you. This will give you a tangible bar for success.
When you put all of these elements together, you’ll find that you get a more you version of the balance you’re after. If you need a little more guidance on defining your own success, I highly recommend checking out the book Take Back Your Time by Christy Wright!
Review the Important Sections:
3 Steps to Creating Your Own Definition of Balance (:55)
The Pie of Balance (2:22)
Identify What Makes You Feel Out of Balance (3:59)
Get Clear on Your Current Season (5:22)
Identify What Makes You Feel Balanced & Decide Who You Want To Be (7:42)
Books Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Take Back Your Time by Christy Wright
Connect with Joy:
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