Out of balance
Balance in all that I do has been at the forefront of my mind lately. That, and being consistent with all that I do for my writing journey. Striving to attain that optimal equilibrium between my writing, and personal responsibilities, has been proving a challenge.
Over a recent weekend, I had been frustrated with all that was falling on my plate. Household and personal responsibilities dominated my days where I had planned some time writing and being creative. For the next couple of days, I felt deflated.
I noticed that I had begun to berate myself for not ‘getting it all together’ and attaining stability in my daily routine. How come I can be consistent in some respects, and fail miserably in other areas?
Having a lot of solitude, alone with my thoughts, has not been as helpful as one might anticipate. The constant ruminating kept me focused on the issue, rather than the outcome I was seeking.
Self-care was paramount, so I did not begin a spiral into a poor mental state.
Image by TanteTati @ Pixabay
what became clear
Given this lack of resolution, I made a conscious choice to remove this situation from my thoughts for a while. Somewhat surprisingly, although not entirely, the following morning I woke with an epiphany.
My aim for balance in all things in my world, was underpinned by an unconscious expectation that I would achieve everything, every day. Therein lies a problem.
I was striving to attain a perfect balance in an imperfect world.
Not every day is the same, in the weather, in the outside influences, in my environment, experiences and mood. Without realizing it, I was seeking to be somewhat robotic in my daily routine. Naturally, this does not align with who I am, or how life goes.
No wonder I was feeling as though I was failing, and my creativity had become thwarted.
Image by Ralf Kunze (realworkhard) @Pixabay
finding a solution
I then gave myself permission to examine once more, what is most important to me, in the now. These have become my priorities and the less important things will be the ones that slide, when time beats my schedule.
This will be my balance, and it will look different each day. And that is okay.
Nourishing my heart and soul, through all things associated with my writing, and giving to myself are going to take centre stage. Priorities for my personal responsibilities shall be sprinkled throughout my weekly schedule.
I feel this will give me greater fulfillment.
Also, I hope to not question why some people seem to have it all together and power through all that they wish to, each day. Instead, I now have an image of a person in the water; their upper body looking all calm, and sweet, and happy, and perfectly groomed. Below the surface, they are frantically treading water, with all their might.
What we perceive to be, is not always the case.
Do you have strategies that you have found super helpful to manage your days? Let me know in the comments below and maybe together, we can help someone else.
Now, with a fresher perspective, I am off to review my weekly schedule and plan my next creative session.
Have a super day!
Mumma Sue x
Image by avena @ Pixabay
Further reading:
One of my favourite poems I wrote which reminds me to just seize each day, beginning in the morning: Sunrise
A helpful article written by Joanna Ireland on How to Achieve Work-Life Balance