Balance. Is this actually a "thing?"

Balance.

It’s a word I’m constantly saying and constantly thinking about.

Balance.

Throughout my life, I’ve always had a lot on my plate. It’s never felt like “a lot” to me, but to others, it’s always seemed like a lot.

In high school, besides being a normal teenager, I was a competitive swimmer. I would wake up at 4AM every weekday morning to workout with my swim team, and I would have an afternoon practice every afternoon in addition to that. I also had swim meets throughout New England nearly every weekend. In a word, it kept me busy.

In college, besides taking a normal course load, I also had a job on campus and was a member of Brown TV and I interned each semester. I was busy and I loved it. It really kept me focused.

When I loved to NYC after college, life was very different. It was the first time I had ever been “away” from home. My job required me working from 8AM to 7PM. Oh… and I was planning a wedding.

Here I am. Now.

Working full-time on MomGenerations. Mother of 4 little boys. Wife. And
… ahem, woman of the house. Some days it’s too crazy to sit down and even formulate a to-do list. Every single day I wake up and am never sure what to expect of my day.

I usually have a running list in my head of the day’s absolute to-do things. Fortunately, I’m a good organizer, so on the days when I do have the time to sit and try to get everything down on paper, I’m able to really hash out a pretty impressive to-do list.

Sunday night is usually the night I try to “lay out” my week.

But then there are the playdates. The cleaning of the house. The never ending piles of laundry. The email inbox that is always full. The phone calls that need to be addressed. The treadmill that wants to be used.

And there’s the beauty of 4 little men needing me. OK, 5, including my husband!

I am constantly trying to balance my life.

Being in the social media world with blogging, Twitter and Facebook – it’s always “open.” Always on. Always there. It can be overwhelming at times. And there are absolutely times when I feel like I may “miss” something by walking away. But I know there are times that I just have to.
I’ve been really making an effort of “hanging” it up from 3-8PM. I have been checking my email on a very limited basis within these 5 hours. And I make sure that I’m with my boys. Whether we’re reading or playing or drawing or even watching TV together, we’re together. And that’s important. With the weather getting so beautiful, we’ve been outside. I love seeing the excitement and enjoyment in my sons’ eyes when we’re playing. It means something very special for them to be together. There have been too many times when they have just seen me glued to my laptop.

The balance that I have begun to bring into my life is something that I have been yearning for and needing and wanting.

I know I was beginning to fall into the category of non-balance for a little bit. What did it for me was when my son asked me if he could “Have a blog, too.” I knew, even at the young age of 4, that he “got” what I was doing. I didn’t want him to feel like he needed a blog to communicate.

Balancing family and work and friends and my home isn’t easy. It’s constantly a work in progress, but I’m getting there. I know what is most important – my family, so I make sure that my day is carved around them. It’s made my life easier, more fulfilling and a lot more fun.

How do you balance it all?

Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by Healthy Choice. Please visit http://www.spokespersonwanted.com for more information on Healthy Choice and to print a free $1 off coupon.

About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

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7 Comments

  1. 6.8.09

    Don’t beat yourself up. After wrestling with this issue so much, I’ve decided I prefer to forget about balance–I think it’s overrated:
    Balance is overrated
    It works for me!
    Pam

  2. 6.8.09
    Stacey said:

    This might not be an answer you’re looking for, but I really believe that, for me, I cannot find real balance in my life if I don’t put spiritual matters first. When I am doing well with that, everything else seems to fall into place. The thing with balance is that you’re not supposed to be doing 100% in everything at once, but doing less than perfect so that everything gets done well enough. Finding that “well enough” is the hard part we have to figure out as individuals! Good luck! 🙂

  3. 6.8.09

    This is such a great post. Balance is a constant struggle for me. I really enjoy blogging, but since my job is actually in the e-commerce field I have been absolutely overwhelmed with the 24/7 lifestyle. I, too, am designating hours where I am just NOT online. And I am even trying to reclaim my weekends. My job is flexible which is such a blessing, but I think I am just way too accessible (many thanks so a very addicting blackberry and work-a-holic personality). But the most important people in my life (my son and hubby) have to be top priority. Best of luck with your balancing challenge. I admire all your efforts (especially with 4 little BOYS!!!)

  4. 6.8.09
    Gina Chen said:

    Great post. I, too, am a high-energy type who really likes to be juggling a bunch of different balls (at least most of the time.) At least, that’s the conclusion I have come to because whenever I try to simplify my life, I somehow manage to launch a new project.

    So I’ve come to accept that I’m someone who enjoys over-commitment at some level or at least what others might view as over-commitment and I view as just life.

    So love your son asking if he can have a blog. I have three blogs, and so I spend a fair amount of time blogging. One of my blogs is a parenting blog, where I write about my kids a lot. Often, they’ll do something or say something they’ll think is funny, and they tell me: “Mommy, blog that.”

  5. 6.8.09
    Dad said:

    Audrey,
    I am your father and basically, since I get to see you practically everyday, I feel comfortable enough to put in my two cents. I think that you do a great job at balancing. Awareness is probably the first step in assessing whether or not you have the balance in your life that you and your loved ones need. The fact that you’re blogging about it, shows how aware you are of the importance of balancing these things that you cherish. You are an extremely spiritual young woman who is able to give what’s needed to those who love you and rely on you. I marvel at your commitment, your passion and your energy. I love you and I’m very proud of you.
    Dad

  6. 6.8.09
    C said:

    Oh, Audrey! This is such a great post. Balance is something I never really had to work on. I pretty much knew how to achieve balance with work, life, love, etc. Then I became a mother. Now, I don’t know my head from my elbow! 😉 I don’t know what happened. I’ve always been a very busy person, but add a brand new baby to the picture and I’m finding myself sometimes struggling to keep up with everything.

    Love this post and love you! You are such a star 🙂 Love how you keep everything so “together” all the time! xoxo

  7. 6.8.09
    nik said:

    If you figure it out….let me in on it.
    Nik

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