Hello there! You might be saying, “Camille where is my Tuesday Q&A video?” Today I thought written word would be best. Plus, I was thinking some of you may need to print this post off and tape it to your wall, desk, forehead (just joking but not really). So how do you bring balance into a life filled with many tasks and obligations and they ALL feel important?
Well let’s take a look at today’s Q and my A…
Q:
Hey there Camille,
Im wondering if you can shed some wisdom on bringing balance into my day. I just started a new position with **Top Notch, Im developing my personal vocation and passion for Mental Health Therapy; particularly DWI/DUI Educational Services, and trying to prepare for State Licensing. All of which are equally important for me.
Im an empty nester..sort to speak. **I have children who don’t live at home and married 20+ years.
So….there you have it…lots of transitions. ..lots…
Wish I could share more….
**Person preferred anonymity so some information has been changed to respect their wishes.
A:
I believe our lives are literally like the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. I’m going to give my brief description and then ask you a few questions and give advice.
1. Spring phase of our life: We are getting prepared by identifying our passions and developing plans to make them reality.
2. Summer: We are full of energy and go go GO! Work, children, school, marriage, friendships…. it’s a very lively time and we should use that energy to get the most done. We start seeing the results of our time, financial, and emotional investments.
3. Fall: We should be enjoying the rewards of summer and focusing on new goals that don’t require the same energy as Summer but still require work. Start shifting your focus and get comfortable with all you have done. Re-evaluate what you still want to accomplish and your ability to REALISTICALLY do so, given what season you are in.
4. Winter: Things never stop completely but you take it easy and live out your plans (travel, see family, volunteer, hobbies, and enjoy without stress). IF you planned right, you are on your own time table and you deserve to enjoy it.
What season are you in? What are the top 4 things that are important to you at this season? The things you make a priority should all contribute to those 4 goals. That way you are not getting sidetracked and OVERWHELMED (unbalanced) by work, projects, and stuff that take away from your focus in this season. Everything else will need to be placed on hold or you may decide to let it go because it does not contribute to your focus.
So glad you asked this question!
Camille
Camille, as per usual, you have a beautiful analogy that fits! May I borrow this for use with clients (I see plenty of overwhelmed & unbalanced moms)? I really love the Tuesday Q & A. Great idea!
Definitely feel free to share this Kim!
Hi Camille, I really enjoyed this post! It was helpful for me to be able to look at where I am in life right now and know the season I am currently operating in. At the point where elements of the various seasons seem jumbled, there is cause for re-evaluation. There is so much to keep balanced and in perspective daily. Thanks for posting!
Hi Ebony! Thanks for visiting the blog. As we travel through this life, there is more and more to balance. It’s important to remember there is a season for everything and sometimes we go through seasons more than once 🙂
Hi Camille. I love this! I often think of winter as a time God has prepared the earth (and us) to rest from our labor. I should be close to the “winter” time in my life (I’m almost 63 years old!) but I just got started! At times, I get tired. I do not have the energy I used to, so for me, I may go through the four seasons several times in a year. There are times I just need to rest and quit working so hard. I will stop packing my appointments so close together for awhile and take a breather, and stop working so hard at home on my writing or my online business. But then I feel refueled and ready for spring and summer again! It may help anonymous above to listen to her mind and body and make sure she rests when she hears the call to rest and hit it harder when energized again. Sometimes, when you have obligations you cannot change, simply making sure you do nothing on Sundays but go to church, if you attend, and then rest or take a nap, and do something fun like take in a movie needs to be a priority. When I was working at an agency to earn my licensing hours, I was exhausted, and I had to do that one day a week to even make it through that time. Great post, Camille!
Hi Linda, AMEN! You make a wonderful point that I didn’t mention… We can go through seasons interchangeably!! Sometimes not at the same strength as when we were younger but we go back and forth still. Ahhh yes, listening to our body is so important!