By: Angelica Garcia, Supervisory Librarian, Learning Resources Center, NCO Leadership Center of Excellence
We all struggle with living a life of balance. With increased distractions and the roles that we all have in our lives, it is easy for an area in our life to be neglected. How do you know if your life is out of balance?
- If your credit card debt is so high that you cannot afford to replace a broken appliance, then your finances are out of balance.
- If you struggle to walk up the stairs or your clothes no longer fit due to weight gain, then your health is out of balance.
- If you are feeling discouraged and feel a sense of despair and hopelessness, then your spiritual life is out of balance.
- If you are falling behind in your career and you are not keeping up with the latest trends and technology in your field; then your professional life is out of balance.
- If you are missing deadlines or payments are missed due to unopened mail; then your organization skills are lacking and out of balance.
So how do you stay balanced? You work on every aspect of your life daily, so you stop on top of it and in control. Even one baby step is a step in the right direction. One of my favorite quotes is from author and speaker John C. Maxwell who says, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” Develop the daily habit of working a little bit on every area of your life.
Having worked for the military as a civilian for almost 25 years, I am very familiar with acronyms. So, of course, I came up with an acronym to help remind me of what I need to accomplish daily. The habits that I strive to work on in my life are in five areas:
- Spiritual – to read my Bible daily. My annual goal is to finish reading the Bible in one year.
- Mental – to read on a subject daily. My annual goal is to read on one specific subject all year.
- Exercise – to walk or run daily. My annual goal is to run two half-marathons a year.
- Project – to complete one action step on a project daily. My goal is to be organized.
- Finances – to pay cash only and stick to a budget. My annual goal is to pay off two credit cards.
The acronym I came up with to help me reminder what I need to work on daily is B.R.E.A.D:
- B = Bible
- R = Read
- E = Exercise
- A = Action Step
- D = Debt Reduction
Throughout the day, I simply use my five fingers to help me complete a quick run through on the status of my five daily mini goals that are, in fact, part of my goals for the year. Your goals are different; use something that will you remember before the scales are tipped and balance is out of control.