Accepting and enjoying the moment

Even though I left the world of full-time work outside the home, the level of busy-ness and chaos in my life really hasn't changed much. My days are still long and "tension" and "exhaustion" are still part of my vocabulary. Interestingly, even though my load for the day is large, my feelings of tension and fatigue have lessened considerably. It's lessened in frequency and in intensity. I am more excited about life now than I ever have been. I attribute this to the way I now view my life - a series of moments that exist in a point of time, each one of them being wonderful opportunities to grow and learn from. I listen for inspiration from every interaction and every circumstance.

In her blog, Ellen Miller, a technology marketing firm executive who is passionate about work-life balance, talks about her life as a professional and a parent as a three-ringed circus of sorts. She writes, "I write to you this morning completely overwhelmed. Standing in the middle of my three-ring circus of family, work, and personal pursuits, I have moved from my favorite role of ringmaster (I love being in charge) to the lady riding bareback on the white pony (preparing for a huge client presentation). . .while performing a courageous act with the tigers (completing the manuscript for my book). . . in my clown suit (while babysitting Ava). Before noon today I will have performed every role in my personal crazy circus. And I love it." She attributes her ability to love all she does to changing the way she views her multiple roles. She says, "Work/life balance is not something you do or don't do; it's about the enthusiasm with which you greet your roles." She goes on to talk about her hectic earlier years as a working mother and how enthusiasm kept her relatively sane, "I spent more time celebrating my life at that moment than I did lamenting how hard tomorrow would be."

After reading her post I realized that this is the very shift in thinking that I have been working hard to make. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am still in transition and have moments when I'd like to just run away! But rather than letting those feelings get the best of me and set the tone for my day (and ultimately my life), I become aware of how I feel, name it, and move on. I have come to realize that living in the moment allows me to get nuggets of inspiration that I might otherwise overlook, and out from this my enthusiasm is born.

Using affirmations to achieve work-life balance

I use affirmations with my coaching clients in their career impact process. An affirmation is a positive statement designed to counteract a negative belief that you possess. It is a powerful component in eliminating self-limiting thoughts and words, and can be used to apply to all your life goals. In his article, "A Time to Work and a Time to Play!" Ronnie Nijmeh highlights the differences in balance needs of single people, couples without children, and couples with children. He also offers the following list of possible affirmations you can use to help you achieve work-life balance:

I keep work and play in a healthy balance.
I deserve to spend time relaxing.
I deserve to spend time enjoying my family.
I have a balanced life.
I cherish the time I have to enjoy my spouse.
I enjoy my work and the excellent job that I do.
I enjoy my time to play with my children.

Don't limit yourself to these statements - use them as a guide and make them unique to your own personal goals. If you are new to using affirmations, at first it may seem a bit awkward, but this is a very normal reaction to something that is new and that requires a paradigm shift.