5 Tips for a Balanced Lifestyle: Guest Post from Ashley Schackow
2:48:00 PM
I will be the first to admit that I am a busy individual and play many roles. I’m a girlfriend, mother of two basset hound puppies, full-time worker, full-time college student, and entrepreneur. That’s just the beginning. We all play many roles as girl entrepreneurs and it can be overwhelming at times. I’m sure my boyfriend would be the first one to tell you how big of a stress ball I can be.
This year, I promised myself I would try to live a balanced lifestyle that would leave me more organized, less stressed, and happier. Allow me to share with you my key ways I have accomplished this in less than a month (and how you can too!)
1). Carry a “Catch All” Notebook
I received a free notebook with my planner and at first, I was not quite sure what to do with it. I did not really have a purpose in mind. One day in particular, I had two meetings and wanted a place to write questions and the answers I would receive. At that moment I decided my notebook would capture all my thoughts from my grocery list to rambling ideas going through my mind. This notebook has made a huge difference with me not forgetting my random ideas/thoughts and keeping myself more organized. Not losing or forgetting important notes = less stressed Ashley. Try it and you might thank me later.
2). Actually Use Your Planner to Plan
Seems like a no-brainer, right? As I mentioned above, buying a planner and actually using it is two different things. How many of us have bought a planner, used it for a couple of months and then forgot about its existence? I know I have! This year, I bought a Plum Paper planner that I have personalized. I truly believe it takes the right kind of planner type for it to effectively work. My weekly planner allows me to have one page for writing out tasks and the second page to write out my top 3 tasks. I have gone through many planners and this one has proven to be the best fit for me. From the cover to the inside of the planner, I have been able to make my planner my own. This in turn, has given me a desire to want to plan and be inside of my planner. The end result leads towards a balanced life.
3). Schedule Downtime
Downtime is very important when it comes to living a balanced life. Between everything going on in my life, I find it very difficult to be able to give myself time. I’m always thinking about everyone and everything else. As I reflected back on 2016, I realized how overwhelmed I felt when I failed to give myself the downtime I so desperately needed. It could be as simple as watching a movie or getting a haircut. My nutritionist also suggested a simple 15 minutes lying in bed to help control the level of hustle and bustle of going straight from work to my home. Try it, next time you start feeling overwhelmed. Give yourself a couple minutes before you continue to resume the activity.
4). Don’t Just Plan – Schedule Ahead
Scheduling ahead of time has created a major decrease of stress. I have found scheduling blog posts and social media posts in advanced has helped reduce the thoughts of not knowing what to write. There are many different automation systems that help you along the way. Instead of feeling lost and confused, you can feel more balanced because you took care of it already. Knowing that one small task has already been taken care of gives you a sense of satisfaction. Don’t think about how much time you spend planning, rather consider the time saved by it in the end.
5). Having a Clear Purpose
I did not discover this about my own self until this last year. Despite everything that is currently going on in my life, I use to be a lot busier. (Hard to believe, right?) This past year, I started to understand who and what was truly important to me. I decided to invest in only a few close knit friends, focus on one major service aspect for my business, and explored one big new adventure with my boyfriend. Less is more. I have found more balance and purpose in my life by focusing on becoming great at one thing and not just good at everything. Find your one purpose and grow in its direction.
Finding balance is a journey that you will continually be on. As you continue on your journey, you will discover little ways to help keep an organized and balanced life. I have shared five ways which has helped me in this past month.
What are some ways you help feel more balanced and less stressed? Share below!
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