I have a pencil holder with a quote on it that says, “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” I bought it because I thought it was a powerful quote, but it wasn’t until recently that I felt the depth of its meaning in my life.
The energy and attention that I had been pouring into making a living began to significantly exceed the time that I was spending making a life. When balance is lost, it leads to a fall. When fragile things fall, they break, and when people fall hard enough, they get hurt. So, my partner and I paused for several days and began practicing and planning the making of a life.
We realized that the perpetual pursuit of more pulled us out of the present, making us miss the beauty of what we have right in front of us at this moment.
Here are some strategies to support you as you recalibrate your ratio.
Clear Your Calendar. When we are feeling overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. Identify a time where you can cancel or reschedule appointments and make space for being instead of doing. Whatever you were committed to most likely won’t get the best from you if you are operating from a place of imbalance.
What can wait and what can you eliminate to make space for yourself?
Prioritize Passion Projects. Write out a list of all of the things you hope to do someday when you have more time. Circle the ones that can be done right now. Pick one to dig into. For me it was a faux floral arrangement that I have been saying for the better part of a year that I wanted to design for a vase in our home. From the process of picking out the materials to taking a picture of the finished product I found myself filled with excitement and delight. Now every time I walk past it I feel a little spark of joy.
What passion project have you been putting off that needs to be prioritized?
Collaborative Calibration. I used to do a lot of things in business and life alone which made them far more challenging than they needed to be. Lately I’ve been doing projects and events with partners and teams of people which has enhanced the experience for everyone involved. Each person brings their unique skills, gifts, and talents which frees us all up from squandering precious time and energy on things we simply aren’t good at.
Who can you collaborate with to enhance your offerings and experiences?
This week I challenge you to compare your time spent making a living to your time spent making a life. If it is out of balance take the necessary steps to recalibrate your ratio.
Manifestation Affirmations
I am determining what can wait and what I can eliminate to make space for healing.
I am prioritizing my passion projects.
I am partnering with people who are gifted in areas where I have room for growth.