Balance...is is possible?

Okay, so I've been teaching fitness classes now for about two and a half years. In that time I've discovered that this particular profession draws a certain personality. I'll illustrate with a story. My older son was in about third grade and his class was going on a field trip. I remember reading the permission slip and at the end it asked for parent volunteers. My knee-jerk response was to say no.  Now the reason why I wanted to say no is my point. It interfered with my gym time.  The kids were to leave for their field trip right after they got to school. I always dropped my kids off at school and went right to the gym afterward. It simply wouldn't work for me to go. And then I caught myself. Was a seriously going to pass up a chance to spend time with my son and make memories with him so I could go to the gym?!  That moment, that decision was pivotal for me. I decided I could get up earlier than normal (crazy, right?) and go to the gym. Then I could do both.  Countless times I have looked back on that moment and I am SO grateful I made the choice I did. I chose my son and time with him. I still got my "me time" but I sacrificed something else. It was a good day.  

Now, this brings me to my point. I'm this type of personality. It's easy, automatic even, to go overboard. To do too much and then think, "Look at me! I did it! I'm strong!" Maybe. Too many times I've looked at my co-workers and seen the "too much" and worried that they've missed the necessity of rest and recovery. Sometimes less really is more. I don't want to make it seem like I have this down. I haven't always done the right thing and sometimes I too get caught up in the "too much". I've had weeks where I've taught 12-14 classes during the week and still gone out for a long run on the weekend. But I'm not balanced when I do this and I can tell. 

So now you may be asking, "Can I do it all?" I answer with a qualified yes. You may have to adjust things. You may have to back things off. Compromise. Let's go back to my example. I got my gym time, something that had become very important to me. It was my me-time, the time I gave to me so I had more to give at home. I also got my time with my son, something that I recognized (thank heavens!) was important. I had to compromise. That time the thing I sacrificed was sleep. I got up a little earlier than normal. Please note, I'm not advocating sacrificing sleep all the time. Rest is NECESSARY as a part of a training program, and life in general. You may have to adjust the amount of time you can do something. You may have to give something up for a short time to make other things work. The important thing here is to look at everything, the big picture. Prioritize. Things will fall into place. You will begin to see where you can make adjustments. 

On a side note, let me offer a suggestion. Take yoga. It has opened my mind to things. My body is able now to communicate with me and I can listen. I know what it needs and yoga has offered a peace and calm I didn't know I craved and needed. Yoga could fix many of the problems that exist in our world today. It can help you too. 

I hope this offers some insight into how you can achieve balance in your life. It's so easy to get pulled in so many different directions and to overextend yourself. Hang in there. Breathe deep. Thanks for checking in with me. I hope you are moving toward your goals. Let me know if you have any questions. Check back again soon!