Is Your Work Life Out Of Balance?
I cried, the first time I balanced on my
tip-toes.
It was a shock to feel such strong emotion for a very simple task. I can’t even explain what the emotion was, my mind didn’t have time to analyse, because it bubbled up from nowhere in a rush and burst out in a hot flood of tears. Much to the surprise of my self and my yoga teacher.
As someone who’s danced and taught ballet for half a lifetime, standing on my tiptoes was something I’d taken for granted, a simple action that I’d always been able to do - until it was taken away. After being paralysed and having a badly damaged foot and spine with limited mobility and strength, I realise now, I believed I would never balance like that again.
Ask anyone who’s got a life-changing disability or illness, it’s the small things we miss most - being able to brush our hair, play football (soccer) with our kids or stand on our tiptoes to reach a kitchen cupboard shelf.
Little acts of independence, self-care and caring for others.
Finding balance takes strength, courage and commitment. Sometimes it requires us to flex muscles we haven’t used in a long time (or never used before). To risk failing or falling (sometimes publicly) and to take action with no guarantee of success.
Because balance isn’t something we think about but instead feel, it’s much easier to know when we’re physically unbalanced in our bodies; the pull of gravity, the wobble of weight shifting, the tightening of muscles to compensate.
Physical balance is a very tactile experience.
Psychological balance is very different matter.
Any imbalance is still felt but more subtly, a sense of something not being quite right. Of something being “off” but often we’re not sure exactly what. Or sometimes we know the answer but our minds encourage us to avoid thinking about it, because acknowledging what we’re missing in life is too painful or distressing to touch.
After all, if we’re fully aware of any imbalance - what can we do about it?
The potential distress of feeling helpless and trapped, usually keeps us looking the other way.
Before I had my ‘breakdown’ I had a sense I was out of balance with my work, at least I felt it but didn’t understand the reality of my situation. I just knew something was wrong in my life. Professionally I was exhausted but because people needed me - I kept going. Despite knowing, I was breaking. Despite trying to reach out for help, only to be stuck on a 6 month waiting list for counselling.
I fell between the cracks of the healthcare system and my whole life fell apart.
Years later with the gift of space and time, I realised my purpose-driven work was out of balance at the cost of my other passion-focused work and my own health. Also, I didn’t know how to combine these two widely different professional areas of my life, so ran myself into the ground trying to run two businesses at once.
Hindsight is a gift but when we’re in the midst of suffering we usually don’t have the capacity to lift ourselves up and view our lives objectively. At least not without help from someone else.
It takes all our strength and energy just to try to survive. It’s why catching any imbalance before it becomes chronic is essential to our health, wealth and happiness but most of us haven’t been given the tools to do this important work.
This is why, I recently created the Perfect Balance Diagnostic for business owners, the self-employed and entrepreneurs, as part of an interactive toolkit called Beyond Your Zone Of Genius. It helps people figure out where their business is out of balance and through reflective practice and practical tools, gently guides them to understand how they can bring their work (and lives) back into equilibrium.
None of us started our own business, only to end up stuck in a soul destroying job.
You can find out more here, if you feel it would be useful for you too.
If you’re on a low income because of disability, illness or for another reason - please email me to receive a 50% discount code.
But how do we even realise we’re out of balance in the first place?
Usually, by the time we try to find support, it’s already at a point where our suffering has become chronic.
The point where the pain of not taking action outweighs the pain of going through change.
We can’t seek help if we don’t know we need it.
Thankfully, it doesn’t need to be complicated!
These 5 simple but important reflective questions form a quick work health check, that will help you figure out if you have any imbalance in your work.
Quick Work Health Check.
When you think about your career, do you frequently experience a sense of dissatisfaction, unease or frustration about where you’re headed?
Do you find yourself thinking your time is being wasted because your current role doesn’t use your skills and strengths effectively?
Are you settling for a path that doesn’t inspire you or match your long-term aspirations, instead of pursuing opportunities that genuinely excite you?
Do you find it challenging to balance your work life with your personal life, leading to feelings of frustration or a sense that your career is taking over other important aspects of your life?
Do you catch yourself thinking “there must be more to life than this” or feeling like your work is too much like hard work?
If you answered yes to any of the above, it’s time for change.
I know, that might be a worrying thought because as we discussed earlier, it’s one thing to know we need to do something but WHAT exactly does that look like and where do we start?
Our minds will come up with 101 reasons why we have to stay stuck, because the majority of minds fear change.
Please know you’re not alone with this.
If these questions have triggered something big for you, why not send me an email to talk through what’s going on. I’m always here to support you. Or, if you’d prefer continuous support with taking the first (and following) steps on the journey to create a life you love, doing the work you were born to do, my Rise & Thrive membership has everything you need for only $9 a month.
