Finding Balance in An Unbalanced World

Life can get downright crazy at times with all of the stuff that people have to do these days. Work, school, church, community meetings, raising children, errands, etc all compete for our time. So how do you do it? How do you find time to fit everything in and live a fulfilling life? I believe there are 6 things that can help you achieve balance in your life: Knowing who you are, understanding your values, knowing the vision for your life, setting long term and short term goals, knowing how to deal with stress, and knowing how to manage time.

If someone were to ask you who you are? Would you respond with your name and you current job title? That’s what most people would do. But who you are is not always tied to your job title. Everyone one of us was created for a reason and it’s important that we understand who we are and what our God given vision is. Some of us are teachers, motivators, encouragers, etc. Answering the question of who you are involves getting in touch with your true self and asking yourself 3 key questions: What are your strengths? What are you passionate about? What brings you enjoyment? When you can answer those questions and walk in your God given purpose. Life seems to go much easier and smoother.

A deeper level of knowing who you are involves understanding your values. Your habits are usually your values. If you always sleep in, chances are you value your sleep. Values are the core of who we are. They are the basis of your character, actions, attitudes, ethics and personal beliefs. Galatians 5:22 -23 tells us things that we should value especially if we want to be successful in our Christian walk. We need to value love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. When you have a clear value, you are motivated to do things. Clear values help us make decisions especially when multiple things compete for your time. When you have clear values, you set the foundation for growth. More importantly, clear values bring inner peace.

You also need a vision on where you are headed. What has God shown you for the future? What do you see? God has a unique vision for each of us. Some visions are on a large scale and some are small scale but they are all important. Pray and ask God for the His vision for you life, don’t rush the process. The core of vision is tied up in your values, talents and passions. Try to hang around visionary people who can help guide you.

Once you know who you are, have a vision for you life. You need to create and set some goals for your life to help you achieve that vision. People usually set goals in the follow areas: health and wellness, relationships, work, love, finances, fun, family and faith (i.e. your spiritual walk). You should have both short goals as well as long term goals. What do you hope to accomplish today, this week, this month, and this year, in the next 5 years, in the next 10 years? Set goals in whatever time frame works for you but at least make sure you set some goals that are measurable so that you can see how much progress you are making.

Lastly, you need to learn how to manage your time. For some people, this is one of the most difficult tasks. First step, get a planner or a calendar or use a computer or a cell phone with a calendar or planner on it. You need something that is going to let you map your day hour by hour. Then you need to align your values with your behaviors. The things that you value most should be the things that definitely get time on your calendar.

When life seems to get out of control, always return to what matters most. Find God then find yourself. Rekindle your passions, live them out. Figure out what’s important to you. Make a commitment to it. Pray about it. Get information on it. Make a plan to succeed at it. Face your obstacles and find supportive people to surround you!