Balance is something we all strive for. We all want to have balance in our lives. We seek balance, as if it’s something we can achieve. The thing about balance though, is that it’s maintained, and not achieved. Balance is not something you attain. Balance is something you maintain.

We speak of balance like it’s a Utopian existence. We think everything would be so much better if we could just balance everything. We’ve all read about work/life balance; we strive for it. The balance between our professional and family lives. The balance between our personal finances and our desires. It’s all some balance that we set out to gain.

Balance though, is not a state that is attained. Think of the experience of a bike rider. The bike rider has balance. They are riding along, upright. What we forget, from both the rider’s and spectator’s perspectives, is that there are many adjustments being made the entire time. There is constantly something trying to throw the rider off balance. It may be terrain, traffic, weather conditions, or any number of other conditions. While it appears that the rider automatically remains upright, there is a constant effort.

Staying balanced on a bike becomes easier with practice. What once took concentration becomes second nature. With the increase in ability comes the ability to take on new challenges. You leave the driveway and head down the sidewalk. You leave the sidewalk in front of your home and ride around your neighborhood. Maybe you leave your neighborhood and take on a trail. Each new challenge requires new skill to remain balanced. The bike rider may fall, but they get back up, regain their confidence, regain their balance, and then continue on.

When we consider our life’s balance, we should remember that balance is not a state that we achieve, rather it’s something that must be maintained. This is much like balance on a bike. Like the bike rider, we will lose our balance as we progress. Much like the bike rider, we can get up, regain our confidence, and start again.

Balance may not always look the same. It may not always mean spending the same amount of hours doing each thing. It may mean spending less time doing something at some points, and more time doing the same thing at another point. Things may start to feel off balance, that’s when we correct and continue on.

This is how the MAKE ROOM Planner and Journal works. As you prioritize your time and work on the themes that are most important to you, you can look back to see how and where you’ve spent your time. You can plan your time to reflect your version of balance as well. If you feel off balance, you can look back to see where you’ve been spending your time, and make those constant corrections.

Just remember that balance is maintained and not attained.