Less than a month into 2018, I’m already being forced to learn lessons. I posted a quote a few weeks back saying, “Choosing between good and bad is reasonable. Choosing between good and God is faith.” Whether or not you believe in God, the latter part of the quote requires you to evaluate if the “good” in your life is necessary.
Maybe, like me, you’ve eliminated all the negative vibes (people and situations), learned how to practice self-care, and you love the work you do. Yet, after all of that transforming, you still have moments where you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or frustrated in new ways. You are allowed to have “off” days. But, when you start to hit week two of these feelings, you might want to have a personal check-in.
The first few weeks of 2018 put me in a state of paralysis. I struggled to write new content, lost track of my work-life balance even though I often work from home, stopped working out, and started getting stress migraines which I haven’t had in four or five years. 2018 wanted to teach me a lesson quickly: just because something is good, doesn’t mean it’s best for you.
With the exception of a few things not yet eliminated in my love life, nothing present in my life at the start of 2018 was particularly bad for me. My friends added value, my business was fulfilling and expanding, I attended meaningful events and all of the books and podcasts I listened to promoted growth. The problem with all of these constructive components was my lack of balance in juggling them and my inability to discern my own need for rest. At night, my brain would race for an hour before shutting down so I could actually fall asleep. Everything was good for me but not always best for my mental and physical health.
I needed to learn discernment on a new level. I had to remove items off my to-do list and cut events from my schedule not because these things were bad, but because they threw off my balance. If one area of my life required overtime (like my expanding business), another area should have received less time so I could function effectively. I had to say “no” to some opportunities, and trust that I could live without squeezing an event into my schedule. In fact, by doing this, I’ve created room for more fitting experiences.
Funny thing is, I learned this years ago in relationships. Sometimes you have to leave someone who is a good person, to make room for someone better aligned with you.
I’m not saying anything innovative. This is an old lesson on a new level. I'm adjusting to living life as an entrepreneur. As we pursue our 2018 goals and resolutions, it’s important that we maintain balance with the faith that everything will work out without us burdening ourselves with every task, opportunity, or need.
An old business mentor used to tell me, “Good is the enemy of great.” Maybe, if we stop holding on to what’s good, we’ll make room for what’s great and necessary.
How are you maintaining balance in your life?