Work-life Balance + My First Puja

What is the biggest barrier to your wellbeing, health and happiness? From personal experience, and what I can witness around me, in more cases than not the answer is likely to come down to work-life balance or the lack thereof.

So it’s worth spending a little time there.

– Acknowledge what’s not working and what is

Put it all down and paper, the good, the bad and the ugly. What is it you’re trying to do? Be clear with your intentions. Why is it you have to do all the things you think you have to do? Question it. And question it again. Reflect on the last 6 months. What worked for you and what didn’t? What felt right and what weighed you down? What took too much of your time? Come back to your core values & loves and re-arrange your life around those.

Also what energy suckers can you ditch, right now? From getting stuck in traffic to spending too much time on facebook or watching too much TV; zoom in on the areas of your life where you are not managing your time well and look at different options or cut out the crap for lack of a better word. Find better ways to unwind than zoning out in activities that are not nourishing.

– Identify priorities

Work from a list and always keep in mind the tasks to prioritise, if possible no more than 3 a day and plan accordingly. Put your plan into action, that is execute then re-evaluate. Did that work for you? Did you end up spending your time where you should have or not. Be intentional. Focus on what you can do today, now.

Say no more often and only accept invitations or work commitments you can meet without resentment.

– More vs Better

Stop should-ing yourself about doing more and be efficient by doing a better job that also means less time & energy leakage: be present rather than just “there” and focused rather than scattered & distracted and you’ll gain by truly connecting with clients and co-workers and doing things right first time around rather than going over the same piece of work again. To recover concentration take a professional savasana, in other words take a break. And ask for help, if the job is better done with the help of someone who knows best then it’ll be done quicker and will free your time.

– Set non-negotiable time: for exercise, meditation, dinner at home with the family, self-care that works for you. Schedule some playtime and do not cross it over your list for something else more “useful”. Unwinding is necessary. Now, how you unwind is your choice. You might want to go out with the lads or take a yoga class. Think about what you would enjoy the most and what will truly give you renewed energy. A hangover probably won’t, call me party-pooper, though a good giggle will. So weigh in on that. If you don’t have time to throw out the window then make sure it is spent exactly where it will bring you the most benefit and enjoyment.

So anyway… what on earth does work-life balance have to do with my first puja you’ll ask?

This week-end I started Yoga Teacher Training. Only 2 days in and I can already tell you this: this is a majour enterprise which requires a huge amount of participation, personal work (internal & external if you get my drift), daily practise and of course time. I spent a beautiful week-end reviewing goals for the next 10 months and already learning more about yoga, teaching and myself than I could imagine. We also had a little Puja, a Hindu prayer ritual to bless our journey on this course.

My first Puja was the most delightful moment spent in a bubble of peace and calm like I haven’t experienced in a long while. It was a very special time I will cherish for a long time to come. I feel like I’ve stepped into sacred space and am totally rejoicing in my new life direction.

However I must get real, juggling motherhood with a lively toddler who deserves my undivided attention, working on setting up my own business, writing an on-line course, blogging and Yoga Teacher Training might be a little more than this lady can handle in a week. So I have decided that although all of these projects matter enormously to me, and will get done… eventually, the Ayurvedic Health & Lifestyle Coaching business and blogging may have to go in second gear for the next few months. This means that I will still post but not as regularly as I have. You will hear from me, but it will be once in a few weeks rather than weekly. I’d still love to hear from you and what you might be interested to read about so if you want to drop me a line  go ahead, I’m all ears.