Achieving Balance in an Unbalanced World - The 10 Steps to Peace of Mind

"If you lose your values while acquiring it all, when you have it all, you will ultimately lose it all." - Frank Raso -

By: Kimberley Richardson Would you like to live a happy, fulfilling and meaningful life? Would you like to reach your full potential? Do you want to know what peace of mind is all about? My guess is that you, like most people we have worked with, would respond with a defiant "yes!". But, getting to "yes", is the easy part, discovering how to experience those feelings every day, is not. So why is this the case, you may ask?

Well, to answer that question, we must begin with an awareness about how we are living our lives today. For many of us, our work is what defines us as human beings. We believe that if we work really hard, acquire more possessions and have more money in the bank, happiness, fulfilment and peace of mind, will be ours. So with that belief in mind, we put our work first, commit ourselves to working long hours and take comfort in claiming that "we are busy, really, really busy". To add fuel to the fire, technology has made it possible for us to be at the beck and call of our customers any time, anywhere and any place.

The sad reality is that work is becoming home and home is becoming work. And as the boundary that separates these two worlds is quickly disappearing, we are losing sight of what is really important to us. We are so connected that we are disconnected and consequently, the human spirit is dying. If we are to keep the human spirit alive, then we must change the way we are living and we must achieve some sense of balance. Our self-image and ultimately, the legacy we leave behind, depends on it.

So what exactly do I mean by balance? Balance as we define it, is simply about living your life in alignment with your values, integrating your priorities and making time for the people and things, that matter most to you in your life. In this respect, balance is subjective and uniquely defined by each and every person. However you define it, it is really about self-leadership - something we all must strive for if we are to know what peace of mind is really all about.

The following ten steps may help you along the way:

1. Clarify your values. Take the time to ask yourself, two very key questions: Who am I? and What do I stand for? Your responses should define and reflect your core values and those core values should be integrated within every area of your life. If for example, respect and compassion are two of your core values, you have to ensure that those values are shared with your family, your colleagues and your clients. Failure to do so, will diminish your self-respect and that in turn, will diminish your ability to focus in the workplace.

2. Identify your priorities. What is important to you - is it your health, family, friends, creativity, alone time, spirituality, personal development, community or your work? Write down everything that really matters to you in your life and schedule your time accordingly. Setting priorities will help you establish manageable boundaries that will allow you to achieve more balance in your life, overall.

3. Be committed to a healthy lifestyle. Recognize that your health is your most valuable possession. We often take our health for granted until we receive a wake-up call. Invest in yourself by exercising a minimum of three to four times a week. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink plenty of water. A healthy lifestyle will reduce stress and provides you with more energy and an enhanced sense of well-being. In turn, you project your self-respect to the outside world and this translates into a positive attitude, stronger communication skills and better results, for you.

4) Make time to create wonderful memories with your family and friends. When your personal life is rich, you create synergy in every area of your life. When we are in balance with our primary relationships, it spills into every other relationship in our lives. Most importantly, you will have the peace of mind that will allow you to be happier and more effective in the workplace.

5) Identify any unresolved conflicts that you may have in your life. Though you may not realize it, unresolved conflicts will impact how you communicate with others and as well, hold you back from reaching your full potential. By taking responsibility for the role that you play in the conflict and by doing everything you can do to resolve the conflict, peace of mind will not elude you. Recognize too, that the person you have the conflict with, may not be willing to look at it in which case, "the responsibility lies with the person who understands1." You must be willing to forgive and move on.

6) Give back. Take the time to make a difference in someone else's life. By reaching beyond ourselves to help others, we ignite the human spirit and in turn, add a greater sense of meaning and purpose to our daily lives. Think about how you may be able to help a colleague by sharing your experience and knowledge. Your giving will come back to you, tenfold.

7) Be committed to reaching your full potential. Ask yourself what skills you need to enhance your credibility at work. What courses do you need to take? Are you presenting yourself in a way that commands respect? Do you treat everyone you meet with the same level of respect that you have for yourself? These are very important questions that when addressed, will have a profound impact on your personal and professional success.

8) Create a vision for your life. Michelangelo was once asked how it was that he created a magnificent angel from a huge slab of marble and he replied, "It's really quite easy, I simply have a vision and I just chip away at everything that isn't angel." Having a vision for your life is about creating a mental picture of everything you would like to achieve in the future. When coaching our clients, we suggest that they project their lives ten years out, but that they write their vision, in the present tense. A written vision, though not cast in stone, engages the entire nervous system and inspires you to do the things and to set the goals that will make it a reality.

9) Set realistic and meaningful goals. Your goals are the stepping stones toward your vision - they are your navigational tools that will take you to a specific destination in the future. In order to be inspired, your goals should begin with a verb and be specific and measurable. If one of your goals is to get fit and healthy, "get fit", is not a goal because it is not specific and it is not measurable. Instead, begin with "exercise three times a week, beginning today, March 1, 2011." And just watch what happens.

1 Frank Raso - Co-founder Imagemakers International

10) Treat everyone, including yourself, with respect. Respect as we see it, is the glue that holds people, relationships, families and companies, together. When we respect ourselves and others, we influence the trust that we have for one another. When people feel respected, which is a basic human need, they are able to respond to one another in the same way. Take the initiative and lead by example - you'll be amazed at the results and you will inspire others to emulate you.

In closing, remember that we all deserve to bear the fruit and reap the rewards of our hard earned efforts. What makes it all worthwhile, however, is the knowledge of knowing that we have taken the time to integrate our priorities into our daily life. As my father always said, "most people don't regret what they did do, they regret what they didn't do."

So with that thought in mind, recognize that balance is not simply something that you squeeze in when you have some downtime. Instead, it is a way of living that expresses your values and reflects your true identity and that is what gives meaning and purpose to your life. So why not take a leap of faith and consider incorporating these ten strategies into your life? If you do, you may not only reach your full potential, perhaps happiness, fulfillment and peace of mind, will not elude you. We wish you well on your journey.

Kimberley Richardson

Kimberley Richardson is the President and Co-founder of Imagemakers International a Toronto based leadership training and personal development company that specializes in the creation of genuine leaders.

Over the past sixteen years, through our executive coaching sessions, leadership seminars and motivational speeches, she inspires people to live authentically and in turn, reach their full potential.

www.imagemakersintl.comkrichardson@imagemakersintl.com

(416) 466-6101