This post is about the art of balance, something all great leaders know is important. And yet, I hear from nearly every client that maintaining balance is an ongoing struggle.
I am right there with them. In fact, I’ve spent over three weeks writing this email because I am so fricking out of balance lately.
I lead with an Enneagram Type 6 and my autopilot tendency is to power through my anxiety by overscheduling, overreacting, and overmanaging. And then, a wise friend quoted Mary Oliver’s poignant poem to me. It is all about cherishing the moment and cultivating life’s purpose. I took this as an invitation to think about why, despite my best intentions, I get out of step with balance. What indeed do I plan to do with my one wild and precious life?
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
~ Mary Oliver, The Summer Day
What would you discover in yourself if your life was filled with balance, presence, and purpose?
The irony is, I’m really skilled at guiding others to answer this question and I am doing the work right alongside you. A focus of my coaching is guiding women leaders to slow down and savor life. The program I created is called Reclaim Yourself.
LEARN ABOUT RECLAIM YOURSELF NOW
Here is what I’ve learned and practiced about mastering the art of balance…and how to return to it again and again:
- Get some downtime – back to back Zoom meetings are enemy #1 to balance. Put some white space on your calendar for intentional breaks or “you time.” The world will not fall apart if you sit in the sun for 5 minutes.
- Move your body every day – Sitting at a desk all day stagnates our energy. Whatever lights you up here and to the best of your capacity, get yourself and your energy moving.
- Regulate your nervous system – We are not wired to be in constant “on” mode. Pause and feel your feet on the floor, take 10 deep breaths, have a 15-minute nap, listen to a meditation app. What works for you to return to calm?
- Listen to your heart and soul – When you’re rested and regulated, you have more capacity to really hear and know what is meaningful to you. What is calling to you?
- Revisit your Enneagram type – In nine different ways, we lose sight of ourselves and do what our ego thinks we should do, not what may be best for us. What do you know is absolutely right about you?
These small actions add up to huge shifts and possibilities. You don’t have to do it alone! If finding and maintaining your balance is challenging or feels downright impossible for you, I can help. I invite you to reclaim your freedom and call me for a discovery session today.
About Margot Burns
