create balance

consistently influence what happens next...  

personal balance

The past few years have caused many of us to pause and reflect on who we are, what we do and why we do it. Unprecedented numbers of people have changed their lives - leaving industries they’ve been in for most of their careers, giving up or taking on the big roles, building alternative work-life scenarios or protecting and progressing the best of what went before.

But does it really need some catalytic phenomena to get us to refocus on what matters most and take steps to protect, improve or change things? What we’ve been witnessing, are the practices that smart humans have been doing for centuries – creating the balance they need to survive, succeed, and keep moving forward.

When we create personal balance, we give ourselves the best shot at continually adjusting to changes happening around us, whilst staying true to what is important to us. We’re able to focus on what matters most, use our strengths in different ways, be honest with ourselves and others and learn and adapt more quickly.

Creating personal balance takes practise – it involves finding the sweet spot between ourselves and the realities we face, so we have the level of coherence, integrity and confidence to stop, start or do things differently.

It’s therefore not a finite goal, but an ongoing process. It’s about navigating transition rather than trying to ‘nail’ a spot and then desperately try to hold on to it. We often imagine balance as a kind of holistic state, where we remain calm, relaxed and content all the time. NOBODY can achieve that. Also – it’s dull.

Creating balance is a lifetime project. It’s ongoing and it requires practise. It’s a mindset and a capability that you must continually develop and refine. That kind of commitment is a hard idea to accept, but it’s worth it.

There are three simple steps to finding balance;

Your ability to balance, comes from within. It’s who you are, what you do and why you do it.

who you are
your unique identity - the real you, when you feel and act like yourself
your values – what’s most important to you above all else
your principles – the things that you believe in and the standards you aspire to 

what you do
your capability – the ability that you can count on in any situation
your strengths – the things you’re great at and use to make things happen
your approach – the attitude you show up with and what people can trust you’ll say or do

why you do it
your purpose – the thing that drives you and gives you a reason for being
your passion – the thing you’ll go after…against all the odds
your pride – the thing that gives you a sense of achievement, satisfaction, and dignity

When you can clearly identity what these are for you, you’ve found your balance. It’s like your own personal centre of gravity. Everything you think, feel, say, and do, can be guided by it, helping you to make necessary choices and decisions, whilst staying true to yourself and what you believe in.

Finding balance is particularly important when things around you are continually changing. It allows you to respond to the current reality and adjust how you do things using your strengths, skills, experience and ideas. It helps you focus on what matters most and be both honest and creative about what you can stop, start or do differently.

Most of us make occasional plans or timely decisions, but when we pay attention to our personal balance, we can make adjustments that consistently influence what happens next.

more balanced thinking