If you’re like most of us, you enjoy a rich, rewarding, and busy life. And, now that the new year is here, you\u2019ve likely compiled a laundry list of plans, goals, and resolutions into the already hectic mix. But, if you\u2019re not careful, even the most ambitious and well-organized among us can find ourselves struggling with our burgeoning great careers, a sizzling love life, meaningful friendships, interesting hobbies, and pursuing new goals, all while looking and feeling our best. It\u2019s a lot to manage when you add it all up! But alas, this is what they call \u201chaving it all.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if the idea of \u201chaving it all\u201d in 2019 stresses you out, you\u2019re not alone! Successful women everywhere have the same misgivings as you do. The good news is, you can create the life you really want without going crazy, burning out, or losing your joy for life. The secret lies in finding a successful way to balance these seemingly irreconcilable objectives. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believe achieving balance is related to mastering mindfulness, which really just means living in the present moment. Most of the time, you likely feel overwhelmed because you have too many priorities competing for your attention. To cope, you either become your personal (and unreasonable) taskmaster who fails to build in any time for fun or relaxation. Or, you are someone who makes time for those personal needs but can\u2019t enjoy them because you\u2019re distracted by your to-do list. This is where mindfulness can help. By fully living in the moment, you can begin to achieve balance by ensuring that you never give too much of your time and energy to any single area of your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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If you\u2019re ready to make 2019 the year you achieve\nyour own balancing act, keep reading for some advice to help you be present and\nlearn to make time for what\u2019s most important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Give your career\n100 percent (but be sure to mentally clock out when you\u2019re done).<\/strong> Sometimes\nyour personal life spills over into your workday, and sometimes work interferes\nwith your personal life. It\u2019s just the way of the modern world. But you run\ninto trouble when you\u2019re not able to fully focus on either part. So, when you are\nat work, make it your personal commitment to focus only on work. This enables\nyou to give all tasks your full attention so you produce your best results. Likewise,\nat the end of the workday, you must switch gears and disengage your mind from\nall things job-related. This is hard for most career-driven folks, but it pays\noff when you realize the enviable results of being able to really<\/em> relax and fully<\/em>\nenjoy your time outside of work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Set some new goals\n(but don\u2019t become a slave to them!). <\/strong>Goal-setting can be especially fun and\nexciting in the new year. So, go right ahead and set that intention to lose\nsome weight, save more money, or clean out the basement. BUT. Do steer clear of\nbecoming so extreme in pursuing any goal that it leads you to start feeling\nexcessively anxious or stressed out. Resolutions may have an objective (e.g., to\nbe fun or improve your life), but there is no reason for them to make you\nmiserable. So, if your goal to eat healthier turns into joyless restriction and\ncalorie-counting, take a step back and remember that you\u2019re entitled to enjoy\nyour life even when working toward something important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Say \u201cno\u201d as often\nas you need. <\/strong>Be wary of overcommitting yourself by saying \u201cyes\u201d too often\nwhen people ask you to do things. You may feel pressure to agree to every\ninvitation and take on each new responsibility any time you\u2019re approached, but\nthis can lead to burnout or cause you to inadvertently break a promise.\nTherefore, it\u2019s important to learn to say no more often. You\u2019re not being mean,\nselfish, or irresponsible by doing so. Rather, saying no shows that you value\nyour commitments and possess the self-worth to do what\u2019s right for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nurture your\nclosest relationships.<\/strong> If you are so overcommitted that you can\u2019t be a good\npartner, parent, or sibling, it\u2019s time to evaluate what\u2019s really important.\nMake time for your family, because it\u2019s the only one you\u2019ll ever have. You will\nbe surprised how satisfying it is to send off an email or write a short note to\na favorite aunt or niece saying you are thinking of them and can\u2019t wait to see\nthem in the weeks or months ahead. If your parents are living, call or visit them\nregularly. Reach out to your siblings and try to get together\u2014especially if you\nlive close by. Cherish your role as a parent and prioritize quality time with\nyour kids, no matter their ages. And finally, make an effort to keep the spark constantly\nalive between you and your partner. Date nights, weekend getaways, and open and\nhonest communication are invaluable when it comes to maintaining a strong\nrelationship. Most of all, never forget that small gift or token of affection.\nIt will be remembered for many months to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Master the art of\nmindful eating.<\/strong> Even when you feel rushed, it\u2019s important for your body,\nmind, and soul to slow down at meal times and really experience your food.\nRushing through a meal leads to digestive distress and keeps you from enjoying\nthe ritual of mealtime. Eat slowly, carefully chewing each bite and taking time\nto taste your food. Try to always eat at a table if possible and resist the\nurge to watch television or check your phone for emails while you eat. If\nyou\u2019re with someone, do enjoy the conversation but don\u2019t be so distracted that\nyou keep eating after you\u2019re full. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Make time for your\ngirlfriends.<\/strong> Female friendships are a special part of women\u2019s lives. But\nit\u2019s all too easy to let these relationships drift when you become busy with\nwork, family, and life in general. Be sure to devote time to nurture these\nfriendships so they will be strong during the good times and the bad. (During\nthe bad times, you\u2019ll feel so grateful to have other women who love you and are\nthere for you.) Try to get together with your friends at least once a month for\na movie night, a dinner, or a fun activity. If you live far away from each\nother, schedule a phone call and kick back with a glass of wine while you catch\nup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Enjoy the material\nthings\u2026but rid your life of \u201cexcess.\u201d <\/strong>We all love having nice things, from\nstylish clothing and accessories to lovely furniture, beautiful homes, and the\nlatest technology to make life easier. However, if you have too much \u201cstuff,\u201d\nit can start ruling your life. That\u2019s why you must periodically audit your\npossessions and donate or toss out whatever you don\u2019t need. Adopt a lifestyle\nof simplicity, meaning you buy what you want and need but never go overboard\npurchasing excessive material possessions. Trust me, your closets, storage\nunits, drawers, cabinets, and basements will thank you! Make a resolution to\nclear out of your house or apartment at least five things you never use each\nmonth. Feel the cleanse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buy only clothing\nthat you love. <\/strong>When it comes to material possessions, clothing is the area\nwhere you are most likely to get stuck. Chances are, your closet is currently full\nof outdated, worn out clothing that doesn\u2019t fit quite right (or at all).\nLikewise, it may contain several never worn sale items that you\u2019re not even\nsure you like. While a good closet cleanout is most likely in order, it\u2019s also\nimportant to adopt a new philosophy in which you buy only items you truly love\nfrom now own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How can you tell if you love an item of clothing while\nshopping? Ask these questions: Does this\nfit me well? Does the color flatter my skin tone? Will this work with the\nclothes I already own? Is it true to my core sense of style right now?<\/em> If\nyou\u2019re unable to answer these by yourself, consider bringing an honest friend\nwith you when you go shopping for new clothes. Another option is to hire an\nimage consultant or personal shopper to give you her professional opinion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Say \u201cyes\u201d to\nbetter rest. <\/strong>Getting enough sleep is crucial to feeling good and being\nproductive when you need to be. First, commit to getting adequate sleep each\nnight. This might require you to improve your \u201csleep hygiene.\u201d Try to get to\nbed around the same time each night and aim for seven to eight hours of\nuninterrupted sleep. Use blackout curtains to make your room totally dark (or\nsleep with an eye mask). Try turning the temperature down below 70 degrees\nbecause studies show that people sleep better in a cooler environment. Finally,\nquit all screen time an hour before lights out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schedule enough\ndown time. <\/strong>Face it, you can always find something to do instead of relaxing.\nBut never taking a timeout to just \u201cbe\u201d is unhealthy and ultimately backfires.\nSo, each week, give yourself ample time to \u201cdo nothing,\u201d in a way that you will\nenjoy. Some people prefer staying in and watching Netflix, while others choose\nto get lost in a great book. Others still may bliss out by getting a 90-minute\nmassage or taking a luxurious midday nap. It doesn\u2019t really matter how you\nchoose to relax; the important thing is that you do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The balancing\nact is a necessity in our modern, chaotic lives, but anyone can achieve it with\na little extra effort. When you unapologetically prioritize what all is really\nimportant to you, commit to those things, and stay mindful through it all\u2026well,\nyou\u2019ll still<\/em> be busy in 2019! But, you\u2019ll\nalso slow down the pace of life immeasurably and enjoy yourself more. You will build\nbetter relationships with friends, family, and coworkers. You will be more\ncentered to meet the real meaningful objectives of your life. Finally, you will\nenjoy the benefits of a rewarding work-life balance and have the energy to\nappreciate how great your life truly is. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you’re like most of us, you enjoy a rich, rewarding, and busy life. And, now that the new year is here, you\u2019ve likely compiled a laundry list of plans, goals, and resolutions into the already hectic mix. 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