Finding Your Balance

Part 1: Lose the Wobble

Have you tried standing on one leg? Do you wobble back and forth? Balance exercises should be a part of your regular routine but what about Finding Balance in Your Life?

Do you wobble between activities, leaning towards one then another, maybe even falling down i.e. completely neglecting one area altogether?

It happens to me! Very recently, I received a gentle reminder that my balance was askew. So I thought about it. Why? How could I “practice” so that the wobbling would be reduced. For the physical, the answer is simple, just add in more balance exercises. But what about life?

The first thought should be “What are your activities?  List them. Then rewrite them according to priority. Now you have a framework or let's say a ladder. (Do you want to lose your balance on a ladder?) No, of course not, even a little wobble is scary.

Let's use this ladder of activities to keep your life in balance. Whenever you go to do something, ask yourself, Where is it on my ladder? If there are things above it, you may be wobbling. Try to the activity above and in sha Allah, systematically work from the top down and in sha Allah, you will have a safe landing.

Part 2: The 30 Minute Rule

Continuing the thoughts on Losing Your Wobble, once you have your ladder set up and you have set your priorities. An important step to do next involves time. When I get out of balance, most likely I spend way too much time in one area at the expense of many others. So I came up with the 30-minute rule.

I break my day into 30-minute slots. Mentally this is a real organizing boost as you are planning what to do next and next and next. Sure you can have 2 or 3 slots of the same thing but ideally taking a small break between slots of the same activity will help with focus and productivity.

This rule can be tweaked to suit your individual circumstances.

Could be 30,10 30,10 or a variation.

For me, 30 min slots are best with slight alterations for “watching a game”, “shopping”, Halaqas” etc. In those cases, mentally recognize the passage of each half hour.

Will this rule work for you? Maybe. Make Dua, adjust to fit your day and Believe it can work!