Simply Thought{FULL}…Finding Balance.

{Beautiful photo by Hannah Mayo Photography on etsy}

So as my craft business has started to grow a bit and I am spending even more time working on getting orders filled, I’ve started to feel like other parts of my life are getting a wee bit neglected. I won’t even begin to tell you about the pile of laundry that keeps threatening to fold itself {oh how I wish you would}. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining as I’ve worked very hard in growing my business and I’m happy to see some small successes. Yet, I sometimes wonder how I will be able to handle it all.

Lately my thoughts have been about my life, my work and the idea of BALANCE. If my biz grows even more, which of course I want, will I be able to handle it? My priority is my son and my partner. Will I still be able to be there for them the way I want to be? Aside from anyone else, will I be able to take care of myself the way I know I should? So many questions lately.

Ask almost any woman I know what the most difficult part of their day is and the typical answer is finding enough time to get “it” all done. That “it” is different for all of us but the eternal quest for BALANCE seems almost universal. Between taking care of home, family, your work in whatever form that takes, and many more responsibilities life can get a bit hectic.

Through my own experience I’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t have it all or do it all, at least not all at the same time. Now some folks might disagree with me. But for the average working woman with a child/ren some things just have to give from time to time or else that thing that gives just might be your sanity.

Which brings me back to the point of trying to find BALANCE. For a long time balance to me was something to attain. It was a state of being that I strived for because it meant that finally I would somehow magically be able to do it all and do it all effortlessly. I realized in my search for balance I was just adding one more thing to my already too long to-do list and setting myself up for failure.

Balance now represents something different to me. Balance doesn’t mean trying to do it all but rather knowing when to take away a little here and there when you have too much going on in another area of your life. For me today, that meant that the pile of laundry did not get folded. And you know what, the world didn’t end just because it didn’t get done. I’ve also come to realize that balance doesn’t always look nice and neat. It is inevitable that at certain times in your life some areas, such as work, might carry a heavier weight. But eventually you will be able to shift some of that weight and attention back to other areas in your life. This process of shifting and “balancing” will probably continue as you move through your life because that is life and that is just fine.

P.S. I will soon share with you a new shop that will be carrying indobay products. Hint: indobay is heading to the windy city!

So I was curious how you all go about “balancing” your life? Any thoughts on what “balance” means to you? I’d love to hear some of your ideas and feedback in the comments. Thanks! :)