Funny Motivational Speaker Colette Carlson

Got balance? As a professional speaker, mother, wife, friend, daughter, and sister I’m on the move – just like everyone else. No matter how much I plan, organize and attempt to “be in the moment” there are days I feel like I’m going nowhere fast.

Take earlier today for example. There are a certain number of items that needed to be complete before my head hit the pillow. My list is challenging, but manageable. Even though I utilized the time management technique of pre-planning my day, I didn’t schedule in my oldest daughter waking me up four different times last night to tell me she couldn’t sleep! Nor did I allow for the two-hours we spent in the Dr.’s office this morning (good news - she’s going to live!). So, it’s currently 9 o’clock at night, there was no fresh vegetable with dinner, and exercising has to wait until tomorrow (darn!). Doctor’s orders if I’m to accomplish my tasks, but not exactly a prescription for wellness.

Days like today remind me of The Mad Tea Party ride at Disneyland. Remember when spinning out of control until you felt sick was a choice? Well, we still have choices today, but we can’t expect these opportunities to come without periods of imbalance.

Now hold on to your teeter totters! I’m not telling you to abandon the goal of finding some sense of sanity in your life; I’m simply reminding you not to feel out of balance when you can’t achieve a daily, zen-like experience. There are going to be some days when an important project is weighing down one side of the teeter and your family is high up on the totter needing to come down. As long as their not hanging up there too long, it’s okay. You see I used to feel pressure to equally distribute the weight between the different areas of my life, but I’ve come to realize that I’ll never achieve perfect balance as long as I have goals and dreams. Instead, I look at how “balanced” my life is over a period of time, not a specific day of the week.

There will never be enough time to accomplish everything I desire, but I do my best daily to keep a positive attitude. How? By embracing the following three tips which help me juggle my priorities, make compromises and keep life in perspective.

Tip #1 – Say “no” more often.

Okay, okay I know I’ve told you this before, but are you removing unnecessary or unwanted items from your to-do list? I’m able to stay home tonight and finish my work because I’m not over schedule. Sure, I’d enjoy going to Bunko, PTA, or a networking meeting, but at this point in my life extra activities only add to my stress unless they are filled with laughter. I don’t know if I’m just getting old or am simply a busy lady, but I cherish the weekends that my family doesn’t have anything scheduled besides a Saturday morning soccer game. Those weekends allow me to catch up with the people I love and regroup.

Tip #2 – Lower Your Expectations

If you were to drop by my house right now you’d never know I used to live in all cream condo with strategically placed pillows on the bed. Ah . . . the single days. Recently, instead of being appalled, I was pleased that I invited a new neighbor into my home for a cup of coffee. We both had the time, and I wasn’t going to let a messy house stand in the way. She’s expecting her first child in a few months, and I felt like I was giving her a gift showing her how to relax within chaos. Look for opportunities to lower the bar giving you stolen moments to feel more refreshed.

Tip #3 – Give appreciation.

It’s absolutely impossible to feel stress and appreciation at the same time. So, when you find yourself on overwhelm, simply take a deep breath and count your blessings – works every time.

Just because we have so many incredible choices doesn’t mean we have to take advantage of all of them at the same time. Make sure the choices you make reflect your innermost desires and do your best to let go of the ones that leave you feeling empty and out of sorts. And remember, some days, no matter how well you’ve schedule your day, real life will get in the way leaving you exhausted. Instead of getting mad, why not just lower the totter and have a tea party for one.