A balanced life is a healthy life. However, for some of us, living a perfectly balanced life can be a challenge. From working, to family, to relationships, to maintaining the home, to having a personal life, there is always so much going on each day. The key to a balanced life is finding the elements you need to keep you sane, healthy and happy. Unfortunately, this isn’t always easy to define. To begin, let’s brainstorm things that are important to do on a daily basis. Keep in mind, items will vary depending on your age and sex.
Read Your Goals (10 minutes) – It’s important to remind yourself what you want out of life. Spend 10 minutes each day reviewing and visualizing both your short and long term goals. Believe what you want in life is already yours. Remember, what the mind can conceive, it can achieve.
Make the Bed (3 minutes) – Start the day off on a good note by making the bed each morning. Not only does it set an example for the kids, but it also makes getting into bed after a long day so much more relaxing and calm.
Exercise (20 – 30+ minutes) – Exercise is critical to one’s well being. Exercising releases endorphins which gives us increased energy which leads to increased happiness. If you find it’s difficult to get to the gym, begin brisk walking outside to start. If you’re a person who dreads exercise, try performing this task early in the morning so you’re not thinking about it later in the day. Completing your workout first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day off on the right foot!
6-8 Glasses of Water – Drinking enough water in the day is crucial to your health. Your body needs water to carry out its metabolic processes. Lack of water causes dehydration which leads to over exhaustion and feeling lethargic.
Continuing Education (30 minutes) – Whether you are a brain surgeon or a chef, spend 30 minutes each day reading how to improve your skills in your area of expertise. In five years, you will have spent close to 1000 hours on continuing education which will make you an expert in your field.
Speed Cleaning (20 minutes) – You’ll never dread the unexpected visitor knocking on your door if you spend 20 minutes each day doing a ‘speed clean.’ Set the timer for 20 minutes and quickly put away all the clutter laying around the house. Do this as fast as you can. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done in 20 minutes!
Call 1 Person (10 – 15 minutes) – With all the technology these days, sometimes it’s difficult to pick up the phone and call a friend. However, maintaining relationships is too important to neglect. Spend 10-15 minutes each day catching up with one person in your life you haven’t spoken to recently. You’ll never be called a ‘stranger’ again.
Compliment 5 People (5 minutes) – It’s been said that what you project into the universe comes back in multiples. Make someone’s day by recognizing their behavior, accomplishments, or style. You never know what people are going through in life so you might as well give them something to smile about. A few kind words can go a long way.
Relaxation (30 minutes) – We all need a break. Devote 30 minutes each day to celebrating your life. Whether you decide to spend the time watching TV, reading a gossip magazine or gardening in the backyard, the time is yours so spend it how you like.
Reflective Thinking (10 minutes) – Before you go to bed each night, spend 10 minutes sitting in silence reflecting on how your day went. Think about what went right and what went wrong. Ask yourself how the day could have been improved and take action on each of these items for tomorrow. Also, begin thinking about how you will tackle tomorrow. While you sleep your subconscious mind will begin assembling the blueprint for an effective day.
Pray/Meditation (10 minutes) – Praying/meditating is a great stress reliever and way to maintain balance. Focusing your mind for 10 minutes per day allows you to maintain proper mental health and focus on what is most important in your life.
Completing the above will take you between 2.5 – 3 hours each day. Can you spare 3 hours in your schedule to live a more balanced and happier life?
Alejandra Costello is the co-founder of Color-Coded Organizing, a company committed to helping stay-at-home moms, busy professionals and creative individuals who suffer from ADD/ADHD bring order to life at home by setting up custom & effective organizing systems.
Through her coaching and organizing programs, Alejandra shows her clients how to live stress-free and orderly lives inside the homes they love.
Alejandra’s organizing makeovers have been seen in Family Circle, Woman’s Day and The Washington Post Express. To see her detailed organizing approach, read her client success stories and see inspiring before/after transformations, please visit her website at www.color-coded.net.
