Did you know that companies lose between $200 – $300 per person annually due to work place stress?  Did you know that 80% of people feel stress on the job and that stress is the number 1 health problem? And global studies indicate that 70% of workers do not feel they have good work-life balance.

Frantic, chaotic, hectic lifestyles cost us not only the joy we find in life, but create a feeling of loss of control, while negatively impacting everyone and everything around us.

Choose to move toward balance, so instead of paying the ‘price’, you can reap the reward’.

Become more aware of the many decisions you have to make in a day and ask yourself these three questions: 

1. Is this moving me toward or away from a balanced life?,
2. Do I have a choice?, and
3. If I don’t have a choice, what can be a positive perspective around this decision? 

These three questions can make a big difference in your personal and professional fulfillment. If you would like to know more, we encourage you to download our free Special Report titled: Finding Balance:  Reclaim Your Time and Live a More Fulfilling Life.

Try making these simple changes to reclaim your time and achieve more balance:

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  • Decide that when you do something with friends or family that you will be fully engaged in the process. Do not allow yourself to have a negative attitude or be distracted by other things. You will find yourself enjoying the time and activities much more.
  • Re-evaluate your traditions – If the old ones are causing you too much stress, too much money, and too much energy, choose some new ones.
  • Choose to be “out of pocket.”  We need to choose to be out of pocket more often. No cell phones, no email, no texting, and no appointments.         

How nice would it be to have more of your time be your own?  Give these simple changes a try.

Here are some simple choices you can make in your day to achieve more balance and fulfillment:

• Choose your leisure activities wisely. You only have a limited number of hours in the day for fun, so spend them on things you really enjoy.
• When someone asks you to do something, don’t just say ‘yes’, only to regret it later.  First consider how that thing will impact your work-life balance.
• Plan at least one task every day that you know you will complete, and that you know you will feel good about. Then do it.
• Identify the most stressful things in your life, and make simple changes so they feel less stressful.

You have the power to make these small, simple choices throughout the day for big impact. Set the intention this year and consciously move toward creating the ideal balanced life that you desire.

Until you get into the habit of taking time for yourself, schedule time in your calendar to do things that you enjoy and make all necessary arrangements ahead of time.  If you need to arrange for babysitters, budgeting, confirm with friends, or get help from your spouse, do not allow any obstacles to prevent you from taking time for yourself.    Whether it is 15 minutes to take a warm bath, a walk around the block, or a night out with your friends, it is imperative to take care of you before stress and fatigue make you ill.   Because the more refreshed and balanced you are, the more you will be able to care for the people and things that matter most in your life.

Taking ‘me time’ will make a huge difference in your satisfaction and fulfillment and life.

The good news is that there is a way you can immediately make a big difference in your life balance. It is a simple, yet powerful two letter word – ‘no’.  Before you instinctively say ‘yes’ to the requests of your friends, family and boss, ask yourself how it will impact you if you say ‘yes’, and if you have the option to say ‘no’. Start saying ‘no’ to things you do not need to do.  Or at least put them at the bottom of the list after the things you ‘have to’ do and the things you ‘want to’ do.  Just by choosing to say ‘no’ more often, you will regain a significant amount of your time, and feel more balanced and in control.

• Choose to have a family dinner one night a week.
• Redistribute household responsibilities
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Spend 15 minutes a day in quiet – read, meditate, take a bath, or a cat nap.  But do something.

Life balance is about consciously making choices – every single day that move you toward or away from balance. It is about choosing where to spend our energy, our time, and even our money.  What other small changes can you make for big impact?

The first step to achieving balance is ‘awareness’.  This where you tune into where you are out of balance in your life, and notice where you can start making changes to get back into balance.

The second step is ‘desire’ – this is where you tune into what you want to do more of and less of – in other words, how you want your life to look.

The third step is identifying the ‘influences’ that lead you both towards and away from a balanced life. Identify the positive influences that can lead you towards what you want. And identify the negative influences that impede your ability to create balance.

And the final step is ‘action’.  This is where you take steps 1, 2 & 3, create a plan and put it into action.

Applying these 4 simple steps will help to move you in a direction that makes you feel happier, more in control, and more fulfilled in your life.

• During our young adult years, we may be more focused on our career, knowing that the work we do is preparing us for a more leisurely future and the opportunity to pursue more fulfilling activities.
• When we have children, and have a job, there may be less time for personal growth.
• When we retire, we are able do more volunteer work and devote ourselves more to our personal interests.

 We can be balanced during all these phases, yet “what” we are focused on differs in each phase.  Choose what areas you would like to focus on to create more balance and fulfillment in your life.