We hear about it all the time. We should have balance between work and play, business and pleasure, etc. Looking at my own life lately it’s not so much an issue of balance as it is juggling.
The balance has several dictionary definitions.
bal·ance
baləns/
noun
noun: balance; plural noun: balances
an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
“slipping in the mud but keeping their balance”
a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.
“overseas investments can add balance to an investment portfolio”
an apparatus for weighing, especially one with a central pivot, beam, and a pair of scales.
a counteracting weight or force.
a predominating weight or amount; the majority.
“the balance of opinion was that work was more important than leisure”
a figure representing the difference between credits and debits in an account; the amount of money held in an account.
“he accumulated a healthy balance with the savings bank”
verb
verb: balance; 3rd person present: balances; past tense: balanced; past participle: balanced; gerund or present participle: balancing
keep or put (something) in a steady position so that it does not fall.
“a mug that she balanced on her knee”
offset or compare the value of (one thing) with another.
“the cost of obtaining such information needs to be balanced against its benefits”
So, the definition I believe fits best is under the verb #2 definition
“offset or compare the value of (one thing) with another.”
This is much more descriptive of what I do. Look at deadlines. Sleep, adulting, spend time with my partner, activities solely for my pleasure. All of these must be weighed in what can I trade off for now versus what can I do later.
Really, it all comes down to scheduling proactively, think ahead and rearranging to meet all these pieces you need to make your life work.
Isn’t that juggling?
verb
gerund or present participle: juggling
- continuously toss into the air and catch (a number of objects) so as to keep at least one in the air while handling the others, typically for the entertainment of others.
- cope with by adroitly balancing.
“she works full time, juggling her career with raising children”
- organize (information or figures) in order to give a particular impression.
“defense chiefs juggled the figures on bomb tests”
So many pieces here seem to fit. All of these plates in the air at once. And ol’ Murphy always comes along to throw another plate, pin, or maybe a chainsaw into the mix.
Whatever Murphy tosses at me I try to stay calm with it. Getting upset or angry at unforeseen circumstance I always thought was a waste of energy. No the other piece of juggling my balance is adapting. Take time to prioritize the items on my to-do list. Do my best to make a plan. Try to follow the plan and wait to see what survives of it once the day begins.
Now if I just didn’t have to sleep…
Thank you for reading,
Ernest
When My Worlds Collide 