Life is a constant balancing act, shifting from one role to the next, one focus to another.
I prefer the term FLOW over BALANCE. Balance for me personally has had connotations of wanting to be perfect. Wanting to have everything perfectly aligned and if it's not, feeling unworthy, incomplete and not good enough as a result. My younger self was constantly striving for this sense of balance, of equilibrium.
Having been told by everyone around me that living a 'balanced life' would be a healthy life, where I could be proud and feel well within myself. This proved to be so false for me as I learnt the hard way that striving for balance meant I could never achieve what I was aiming for. I was setting myself up for failure by wanting my life to be perfectly in balance. To have the degree, the career, the friendships, the partner, the body, the face, the adventure and the motivation for it all.
The reality is, life is not perfect and neither are we as humans. The nature of life is fluid; it ebbs and flows and if we don't allow ourselves to do the same then we find ourselves on the hamster wheel; working away yet never feeling like we've reached true balance.
My journey is continuous and I am constantly learning along the way. But in changing my mindset from focusing on balance to focusing on FLOW. I've been able to find inner peace and forgiveness as well as greater self-love. I've come to realise that I am only human and I can only achieve so much in a day, a week, a year and beyond. I know things are constantly changing and as am I. I am always growing and so are you, if you just take the time to stop and recognize what you are learning from every new experience you encounter.
So how does one start to FLOW instead of focusing on 'a balanced lifestyle'?
Start by acknowledging yourself! Notice what you're doing well with at the moment (it can even be something really small, it can be anything!). Then set some realistic goals and set intentions for where you should be directing your energy. Do it today. And do it again tomorrow. And the next day and go with the flow.
Forgive yourself when things don't go your way but then make sure to do better next time ♡