Keeping Life in Balance (2 of 4)

Anger. Jealousy. Fatigue.
These are a few of the emotions that appear when life is out of balance. Oftentimes, however, we know what the emotions are but we don’t know what we can do to counteract them. Here are my tips on how to deal with these three emotions:

Anger
Have you ever noticed yourself starting to get short with your friends, family, children or spouse during a stressful time? Placing more importance on making money than spending time enjoying life with people you care about the most will create anger. When the smallest things begin to set you off for no apparent reason, it may be time to reign in your anger. Start by recognizing that life is out of balance. Shut off the computer, leave early from work or find another way to unplug for a while. Spend that time doing something fun instead. Play a board game, go for a walk, work out with friends or take a short trip to a state park. I find that escaping the pressures of the world and finding release through fun and nature are the two biggest ways to neutralize the emotion of anger.

Jealousy
This is one emotion that I continue to struggle with, especially when people around me are seemingly working less and making more money. It irks me because I have a strong work ethic from growing up on a farm. And yet I seem to lag far behind some of my peers. Or so I think.

The problem with jealousy is it often onsets when you have an unrealistic expectation for yourself.

Your peers are your friends that care about your business’ success. They are not online companies with Fortune 500 clients that write a blog you subscribe to. They are not people that live celebrity-style lives. Make a point to create clear expectations for life and business. Don’t create a fantasy reality or you will easily fall into the trap of jealousy. In 2010 I finally redefined our focus at PIXL Designs. I began to say no to projects that fell outside of this focus. I lost clients, but I gained confidence. Now I don’t have to be jealous, I have to be me. And I like it this way.

Fatigue
When life is speeding recklessly forward, fatigue often sets in. When you begin to do work that falls outside your focus and passion, you’ll begin to work slower. You may become angrier, less patient, and irritable. And you’ll definitely become fatigued. This often sets in on me when I am doing too much at once, saying yes to everything, trying to be all things to all people and giving 110% all the time.

This is unhealthy and unsustainable.

I am naturally a hard worker and it is really easy for me to give 110% to my work and business and have nothing left when I get home. This is not healthy and not conducive to keeping life in balance. So how do I deal with fatigue?

1. When I become fatigued, I finish my projects at hand and take a break for a while. Any new opportunities I put on hold until I can restore my life balance.
2. When I find it hard to get started on a project, I schedule out my brainstorming time on my calendar. Laying aside a specific time creates the sense of a deadline, and let’s face it, we all work better under pressure.
3. When I am overly tired I know I am not giving my best. So to counteract this, I not only make sure I take a break and schedule specific times to be productive, I also use this time to refocus. Taking time to remember why you are doing what you are doing helps you to define your purpose. Knowing who you are and what you believe helps you to get things in balance. You don’t need extra sleep, you are usually just overworking yourself because you haven’t set defined boundaries. Now is a good time to do this.

Hopefully this short list can help you fight the emotions that arise in life. Keeping balance is important for a variety of reasons. Tomorrow I’ll talk about a personal example of when I let work and business take priority in my life and how that affected those I cared for the most.