Is life balanced? Rarely. There are four pillars for a strong foundation, but we may find that the pillars aren’t always the same height making things a little wobbly for us. You know the little feet on the bottom of a table leg? You can screw them in and out to stop a table from wobbling. Sometimes our foundational pillars need a little adjustment as we live our life.
What are the Four Pillars?
The four pillars that make up our lives are:
- Personal
- Professional
- Community
- Family
Each of these pillars plays a significant role in our lives. They need to be strong to form a solid foundation. We need to dabble in each of the pillars to lead a complete life.
How do I balance the foundational pillars?
When we find our balance we are very awkward, it isn’t a beautiful process. Think about a gymnast on a balance beam. When they correct their balance, they shift from side to side trying to find their center of gravity. It doesn’t happen right away; they have to work for it.
When we feel like our life is out of balance, we have a tend
ency to go all or nothing. If we feel the pull in one direction, it seems we can only go that way. It’s time to rebalance. Twist those little feet to get life back on track.
We can reach out to our family and community to help. Maybe you need to up your personal time because can’t unscrew that little foot anymore. Pull from your community and family to lighten your burden.
I’m twisting the feet, but I’m still not balanced?
Having a balanced life is not going to happen every day. Some days will be more focused on our working lives, while other days will be all about family. Try extending out your idea of a balanced life. Look at a week or even a month. Make sure you are taking time for all the pillars for a strong foundation. It doesn’t have to be every day, and you can determine how much focus you will put in any one area.
Tips for making the most of the pillars.
In your personal life making time for you and committing to self-care will keep this pillar secure. Reach out to your community and family to carve out niches of time just for you.
In your professional life try and do what is rewarding to you. We don’t all have the luxury of having our dream job, but we can find things we are passionate about within any position we may hold. Focus on those passions.
Do not underestimate the power of community. Faith, relationships, and charity fall into this category. Research has proven the more charitable we are, the happier we are. Foster the relationships with the people in your community and you will strengthen all the pillars for a good foundation.
Sometimes the only time we can be our true selves is with our family. Respecting one another and open lines of communication are what we strive for when strengthening this pillar.
Remember, life is a great balancing act. It won’t always be pretty, but if we take the time to strengthen our foundational pillars we can lead a balanced life.
Do you need help to strengthen your pillars? Contact me today and we will work through your priorities and find the balance in your life.
I love this post. Balancing life is a day in and day out constant task. I am especially grateful that you included community in this. Not everyone has family or friends nearby. It is important to allow us to be open to ask for help.
Thak you, Sabrina. Community is so important. My family all lives out of state. My husband and I have had to ask for help on more than one occasion. Thanks for your comment.
I tend to think of balance as only having two sides, business and personal. Realizing there are actually four pillars is very eye-opening.
Janet, I used to think of life balance in the same way. I find now that I’m reaching out to my community for help and to help them that life feels more complete. I also like separating out family and personal time. I love my family, but a girl needs time to herself as well. Thanks for the comment.