For a long while, I pondered on this question. There were times in my life when one area of my life was falling into place, yet another simultaneously began crying out for help. On a few occasions, I had many areas of life, all crying out at once, the common phrase of ‘when it rains it pours’ comes to mind. Even though I strived for balance, disarray never seemed that far behind.

How could anybody get the balance? How could they feel completely balanced right there in the moment and hopefully for longer than a few days?

So many times, we strive to create or bring balance in our lives – work, home, business, family, marriage, friends, hobbies, personal time, caring for dependents, and the list goes on. Yet in the same breath, we feel as though we fall short so many times. We don’t fall short due to the lack of trying or determination but, because life never really announces a curveball or change in direction with advance notice, we aren’t given sufficient time to prepare and work out all the necessities beforehand, enabling a smooth transition.

About 5 years ago, I began to reconcile that balance may not be the way forward, but rather I should be trying to bring or create harmony in my life. You see, after a bit of research, it seemed impossible that I would ever find balance. Just by definition alone, balance is a big ask, as it requires there to be an order of equality, an even distribution for things to remain upright and steady. This is a juggling act within itself, aimlessly trying to ensure nothing falls over – what a drain on energy! Just thinking about it makes me want to take a nap.

A Move From Rigid to Fluid

Harmony, on the other hand refers to there being a combination of moving parts that come together to create unity. So, the parts (work, home, business, family, marriage, friends, hobbies, personal time, etc) are not necessarily equal, but the time, energy, and focus are sufficient at any given moment. I love this – the pressure automatically falls away. You no longer have to bring out the measuring scales to ensure each sphere of your life is equally distributed. Harmony leaves room for flexibility and for things to be more fluid, rather than so rigid.

I know it is easier said than done, as we have heard for so long the words of “work-life balance”. These words still tend to make us feel guilty if we have not spent enough time in one area of our life or too much in another. Working within harmony means we get to choose what is right at the time.

A perfect example: Before you went to bed last night, you planned to work on your business today. However, when you woke up this morning, your mind is not on your business, you’re feeling fatigued and a little worn out as you have been working on your business for the last 3 weeks – solid. Rather than beat yourself up and slog on, you allow a change of plan, no guilt trip, no ‘woe is me’ moments, just a rejig of the diary, knowing rest will likely rejuvenate you for your next stint at working on your business. Who knows, this time could also bring a little creativity as you won’t be hammering your brain in the same way.

Here are 4 Ways Harmony Can Help You 

1. Enables you to be in the now, focusing your energy on what is needed now
2. Allows you to be flexible with changing events as life happens
3. Provides a way to integrate the various components of your life based on what is important at the time
4. The striving for everything to be equal falls away, leaving you with more control on where you extend your time and energy