Achieving Life Balance: Simplify

By Karen Susman

f you have trouble being sixteen places at once and being all things to all people, here are a few life balance tips for you.

1. Practice saying, "No." You don't have to give excuses. Just "No." Maybe, "No thank you" makes you more comfortable. You can also say, "Thank you for thinking of me. Ask me again next year."
   
   
2. Reprioritize often. What is the best use of your time right now?
   
   
3. Be present. When you are with your family, be totally with your family. No cell phones. No brief case. No Internet. When you are at work, be focused on work. Recent studies show the average person wastes two hours or more a day at work gabbing, using the Internet, and making personal calls.
   
   
4. Slow yourself down by focusing on the mundane. As artist Georgia O'Keefe said, "If you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment."
   
   
5. Do two-minute jobs. If something can be taken care of in two minutes, do it and get it out of the way. Otherwise, two-minute jobs can grow into two-hour jobs. You'll also feel a sense of accomplishment.
   
   
6. Multitask in a good way. Walk the dog and the kids to the park to meet your friend, Bob. You'll be exercising, enjoying your children, maintaining friendships, networking, and attending to Fido.
   
   
7. Enjoy simple pleasures. If you don't have the time or money to go to Disney World for a week, go to a concert in the park, explore your own city, take a drive, bake cookies, take a walk or bike ride, go to the zoo, chill on the grass while you stare at the clouds. Make popsicles in ice cube trays. Teaching your children, friends, and others to enjoy simple pleasures is a real gift. In our whiz-bang, technology driven, stimulation super-sized world, develop the art of hanging out and doing nothing.
   

Remember, life balance is a process. It is not an event. Be aware when you are out of balance and make another choice. You may go through this process 53 times a day, but you will be aware and making your own choices.

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com. www.KarenSusman.com. Published in Networking Today, September 2005.