6 Strategies to Help You Balance Life….and Not Pull All Your Hair Out!

I’m sitting in the airport in Greenville North Carolina after speaking at the Power of the Purse Luncheon, an annual fundraising event for the Women For Women Organization. Women for Women is a wonderful women’s organization committed to philanthropy. I spoke today about balancing life while having a job, being a mom, working in philanthropy, and all the while trying to maintain some sanity in our lives! I offered the group my six strategies for staying healthy, happy and balanced while trying to have it all and now I’ll share them with you!

1. Discover what you enjoy!

After interviewing people for the past 30 years, I have found that those who are most fulfilled and content are those who have followed the passions in their lives. When you enjoy what you do, it’s hard to call it work!

2. Establish Priorities and Set Boundaries!

Many women feel guilty if they can’t be everywhere and do everything. To eliminate this stress, it’s best for each of us to establish what’s most important in our lives and prioritize those things – and stop obsessing over the rest. To other thing women have a hard time doing is saying “no” to the myriad of requests that come from friends, family, work etc. We may feel like superwomen but without priorities and boundaries it’s hard to balance it all and still have to time for ourselves.

3. Invest in Yourself!

It doesn’t matter how many stocks and bonds you invest in, if you aren’t investing in your health you may not be around to enjoy them. The length and quality of our life is only 30% hereditary and 70% up to us. The investment you make today will determine the quality of your life 10, 20, 30 years from now.

4. Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude!

A positive attitude and sense of enthusiasm is a key factor in your health, success and happiness. Deepak Chopra once told me that we are the only creatures on earth who can change our health by changing our attitude. I call it an inside job!

5. Ask For Help!

We need to talk with our families about what it takes to operate as a team and how it’s important for everyone to work together in order to find an equitable sharing of tasks. If you are feeling at the end of your rope and exhausted – have a family meeting. If you do it all yourself and never ask for help; you will always feel overwhelmed and resentful...and they will always think you are a crabby lunatic!

6. Count your blessings!

It is so easy to let your focus be drawn to what went wrong in a day and what could go wrong tomorrow, that we forget to appreciate the good stuff. The simple act of “counting your blessings” can be a powerful tool in maintaining a healthy body and a happy soul. Studies have shown that a positive, appreciative person has less stress, lower blood pressure and better immune system and a life filled with more laughter and less illness.

So there they are short and simple – they’ve worked for me and I hope they help you find some balance in your life.