On Balance

I am confident that I am likely the only Pillowbook contributor who has never actually met Liza in person. This speaks to the power of Liza's words and how she has impacted people she hasn't even met outside of the Internet world. I was honored to be included in Liza's circle of guest bloggers. Pillowbook is a blog with a strong sense of community and sharing, and I'm happy to be a part of it!

If you've ever stumbled across my blog, you know I write a lot about balance, that delicate push and pull of finding it and maintaining it. And inevitably each January I spend the month evaluating my previous year, what I feel I'm lacking and what I need more of. My greatest fear in life is muddling my way through with my head down, getting through the tough stuff and looking up ten years later wondering where the time has gone. I don't know about you, but if one area of my life is out of balance, I feel a complete mess. If I've been working 12-hour days, the rest of my life falls into disarray. I don't want to look back and regret not seizing moments and opportunities in front of me.

As I've gotten older I've learned that the dreams and big goals for myself aren't just going to happen on their own. I have to take action and make choices that help me get where I want to go. So for me, slightly type A and with a great affinity for pen and paper, January is the perfect month to take stock. I like to begin by grabbing a notebook or journal and jotting down the things that are most important to me. These fittingly break down into six main areas:

Mind
Body
Spirit
Community
Relationships
Creativity & Passion

This is why Sid Lerner's philosophy works so well for me. Lerner likes to think of Mondays as the January of every week. This is brilliant. Mondays are good days to set goals for the week and resolve to make it your best week. On Monday mornings I jot down my five main areas in my journal. Then I write down what I'm doing for each area that week. When Sunday evening comes around I look back on my Monday goals and see how I fared. Some weeks are better than others, but in the end, this has been a great way for me to see my goals through. I've included some ideas to spark in you avenues that help ensure you are feeling whole, and making time for each part of yourself.

Mind
What are you doing for your mind? Find a way to exercise your brain. We have been on a serious crossword puzzle binge as of late. Also late night rounds of Scrabble. I also like to choose a longer news article to read each week. I am a big fan of Arts & Letters Daily. It makes the perfect homepage on your computer. One of my favorite parts of the week is stretching out with the Sunday paper all day, digging into each section and discussing the news of the week over a large pot of coffee.

Body
What are you doing for your body? Exercise is one of the first items to fall off the list if I'm stressing out and working long hours. Quite backwards when I consider how much better I feel after a good workout. Find what works best for you. Choose a plan you can stick with. Start small with 30-minute workouts or a walk around the block. How are you eating? Everything in balance and moderation I say. Once you start cutting things out wholly and making drastic changes, I think the chances are greater that you'll stop following through and ultimately feel worse in the end.

Spirit
What are you doing for your spirit? Do you pray, read, meditate, attend church services? This is a deeply personal area, but so important. I feel this is the area I am lacking in the most and hope to improve in 2011. We have been seeking out a church where we feel at home and have been trying out various ones around the city, hoping to find one that feels like a comfortable fit. Charlie and I also practiced meditation in college and I would like to find a way to incorporate it back into my life.

Community
The majority of Americans leave this one off the list entirely. Who has time to volunteer and give back? All of us in my opinion. The key here is finding a cause that you connect with and one that suits your interests and talents. It's such a wonderful way to get to know your city and the people that make your community complete. Maybe you volunteer once a week, once a month, or once a year. No matter what you do or how often, the impact is immense. To get involved somewhere, click here.

Relationships
What are you doing for the people in your life? Have you picked up the phone or the pen recently? I'm a letter writer. I try to write one letter a week, always send thank you notes, and always remember birthdays. Receiving a birthday card or letter from a friend is one of the greatest and unexpected gifts. I also love to surprise my family and friends. It can be as simple as sending a sweet note or picking up the tab at dinner, or a step further with a plate of cookies or jar of jam. If you're in a relationship or married, I think it's so important to plan romantic surprises. They go a long way. If you're in a serious relationship you also understand the importance of patience. I challenge you to think before you speak, to try and go one day without complaining to your partner. This touches on Becky's post about not sweating the small stuff. You quickly realize how much is insignificant when you make a conscious effort to stop complaining.

Creativity & Passion
What is your passion? What drives you? What do you aspire to be? It's so important to make time for your creative pursuits. This usually requires stepping out of your comfort zone and muting the voices of your inner critic, but how freeing to get to that place! For me, it also requires powering off. Pick a few evenings and keep your television off, Facebook closed, and phone put away. Reconnect with yourself and what inspires you. If you're lost and trying to find a place to start, I highly recommend picking up The Artist's Way. This 12-week program is a blast to work through and truly helps you get back in touch with your creative goals. Two of my favorite elements of the program:
Morning Pages
Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages-- they are not high art. They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind-- and they are for your eyes only.

Artist Date
The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly "artistic"-- think mischief more than mastery.

Make a list of fun, creative goals for yourself and challenge yourself to completing one a week or one a month. Here are some ideas to get you started: Keri Smith's 100 Ideas, Learning To Love You More assignment list, 52 Projects.

Wishing each of you a happy, well-balanced 2011!
Myndi