Achieve Balance in Your Life through Writing

Ryan returned home from two weeks on the road. His meetings went exceptionally well, he made outstanding contacts, and sales exceeded even his expectations. Yet, he woke up the next morning feeling out of balance - like something was missing. How could this be?

He decided to at least try to do what his coach had suggested, pull out his journal and explore his unclear feelings on paper. He soon discovered how out-of-balance he had become with this new job. He loved the job, the challenge, the people and the potential; however, it was taking more of a toll on him than he had realized.

As with each of us, balancing family, work, play, alone time, and social activities is Ryan’s key to success. But, how can he attain this with his burgeoning schedule?

Ryan decided that the journaling worked once, why not go back and give it another try? He outlined what he considered to be a balanced week, including each of the above activities. He soon discovered it was not that hard once he outlined his plan on paper, rather than having it in the form of random musings in his mind.

Now he was on a roll. He further outlined who he wanted to see. He intended to contact one long lost friend or associate each day for the first week to schedule something, anything—lunch, dinner, an outing, or racquetball. Placing it on the schedule would be enough to give him the sense of freedom that accompanies balance.

Now his week was set. He knew who he would contact and when. Much to Ryan’s complete and utter surprise, each of the five individuals on his list contacted him that very Saturday. This is a true story. An out-of-town relative called for a surprise lunch. A long lost friend called for a spur-of-the-moment dinner.

By the end of that day, Ryan had plans with each person on the list. It worked like clockwork. He was no longer surprised when the last person on his list e-mailed him around 4:00 p.m. to suggest a poker game with the gang.

Why did all of this come together so effortlessly for Ryan? Though it is not always this easy, the theory goes back to the bible: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7. The problem is that each of us processes 60,000 thoughts a day. Merely thinking about something in the midst of so many competing thoughts is often not quite enough to make it happen.

Slowing down your mind to actually write your intentions down provides that extra edge. This activates both sides of the brain and encourages creativity, envisioning how this can come together. This deeper envisioning process generates a synergy that creates activity. I delight in seeing this over and over again in my executive coaching practice.

My clients move at a very fast pace, making huge, bold decisions quickly. While many balk at having to write their goals/intentions/dreams down, they are often amazed at having accomplished them a few short months later.

This week, follow in Ryan’s footsteps. Pull out something to write on, dream about what you want that you don’t currently have, be very specific, and put it in writing. You can achieve the balance that aggrandizes your success. Have a great week and enjoy your discoveries.