Bringing balance into your life

                        By Bayo Ogunmupe

    In this day and age, life is hectic, very demanding and it is easy for you to feel life spiraling out of control. However, you can bring balance into your life if you make life a priority. It is so easy spending all day chasing your objectives; only to feel you have accomplished nothing at the end of the day. Most of us have experienced this. But it does not have to be that way. Balancing your life is possible. A busy life can be injected with meaning, candor and vigour. Here is how.

    One, get started in the first hour of the day doing something you are passionate about. For me, it is studying, finding encyclopedia explanations to topics of the past week, building my online business of blogging. Also, I browse with my desktop and walk to the office to keep me physically fit. I always look forward to getting out of bed with excitement. Time is such a valuable resource that how you utilize it will determine how rich and happy you become in life.

    Two, simplify your life through planning and budgeting. In today's world, it is easy to buy more things than you need and take on more responsibilities than you can manage. You may even be subsidizing the profligacy of others without knowing. Every extra item and responsibility in your life creates imbalance. Take time to analyze and eliminate things that don't serve you. Harmony and happiness will come to your life thereafter. This might mean saying no to demands from friends. Moreover, people knowing you work to schedule mitigates nuisance. Adherence to plans promotes and maximizes creativity. Have you ever noticed how solutions appear when your mind is relaxed? That is your intuition getting a chance to speak.

    Three, give your health a priority. When life gets hectic, our first response is often to sacrifice ourselves for everyone and everything else. We eat convenience food and cut back on exercise. That is a mistake though I used to eat junk food when I am broke. Without good health life is ruined. If you don't give your health the priority it deserves, your resulting bad health will hurt you eventually. Do not take your health for granted; so take time to look after yourself, your health is your life.

    Four, learn to be more patient. Your life might be more balanced than you realize; it is hard to notice this if you are impatient. A lack of patience makes every situation more challenging. Impatience renders you less capable at your job. Five, spend more time on activities that mean the most to you. Your family should be a priority. Working shouldn't be the only priority in your life. Not having hobbies, not hanging out with peers will affect your enjoyment of life. The more time you spend on enjoyable activities, the more you will enjoy your life.

    Six, make yourself your biggest priority. When you take good care of yourself, you can take better care of others. When you are at your best, your work performance will be at its highest. Be selfish  in prioritizing your needs and happiness; for everybody will benefit from that mindset. The Spanish philosopher and humanist Ortega Gasset  affirms that self centeredness is the very basis of ambition. One must love himself well before he can become great. 

    Seven, get enough sleep. Research shows that performance increases by 80 percent, when subjects receive at least seven hours sleep every night. You will get more done by sleeping adequately every night. Eight, spend time on your  relationships. This includes your romantic relationships. Keep up with your friends and extended family. Spend more time with the people that you love and enjoy hanging out with. Finally, define what having a balanced life means to you. Balancing your life is impossible until you clarify what balance means to you. Measure the time you spend at work, the time you spend with family at5 home; and the time you spent on leisure. Create a balanced life by choosing your priorities wisely.