My children are grown now and on their own, and I’ve moved from family therapy to leadership coaching.  If anything, I’m busier than ever, but even though my circumstances have changed, I still have to work hard at the business of balancing my life.

I’ve employed many techniques in the struggle and advocated many more to my clients.  You’ll read about them in the pages ahead.  But one of the easiest things anyone can do–and something that has helped me tremendously over the years–is to take a time-out in the form of meditation.  I taught myself the technique when I was 21 years old, and now I can tune out the world in a millisecond.  If I have a 10-minute break, I can close my eyes and instantly be in an altered state.

I especially like to do this when I feel that midday slump coming on, around 3 or 4 o’clock.  I can do it in the office or sitting in my car, but my favorite place to do it is on the porch, hearing the birds sing and the leaves rustle.  It’s amazing how energized I feel afterward.  And it’s a reminder that sometimes the simplest acts can restore the spirit.  I encourage anyone who is feeling out of sync to find a technique like this that will help “pause” the day and replenish the soul.

Another thing that helps to keep me balanced is having my responsibilities at home clearly defined.  Otherwise, it might be easy for me to say that I’m too busy to unload the dishwasher or fix breakfast.  It’s not as if I have a lot of duties, but I have enough that I can’t pull rank and say my work is so important that I can’t do my part.

Thanks for reading, and remember to visit robsleaders.com!