Balancing the multiplicities of getting your kids ready for school, putting gas in the car, remembering to floss, making time for yourself, your partner, and your future can be a full time job.
How does the average person get through the day while continuing to make headway towards life goals? Not just the social media highlights of us ‘conquering the world’, but the ability to maintain a balance between the mundane and the exciting.
Maintain focus and balance by focusing on Spirit, Mind, and Body. Within these three categories I am going to place specific segments of a day within the broader spectrum. If it applies, use it – if it doesn’t, don’t. This isn’t a one size fits all, but rather a framework of one way to structure your day.
You don’t have to break your day down exactly the way I do, but if you can make time for these three categories every day, chances are you are going to be happier, feel more focused and eventually start accomplishing those smaller goals on your way to knock out the larger ones.
Spirit.
Study / Reflection – Spend 10 minutes a day focusing on reading spiritual scripture. For me it’s the Bible, for my Jewish friends this could be the Tanakh, for my Hindu friends this could be reading the Vedas. As a matter for this framework, so long as you are dedicating 10 minutes a day to studying about your religion, and then an additional 5 minutes reflecting on those reading you are good.
Don’t worry, I am adding a table breaking down the sections and the time recommendations spent in each at the end.
Family / Children / Pets – Spend 10 minutes doing something which focuses on any of these things in your life. If you have children in school, take this time to read about the upcoming events, book fairs, etc. If you have pets, take some time to research some new parks you can take them to or a new trail, or even just a new toy they may enjoy. For your partner you should take this time to research some of the things they are doing at work or a hobby or pastime they enjoy. For example, my wife loves Crossfit. I take time to read a Crossfit article related to a workout she’s done recently to talk about at dinner.
Spirit can be anything that focuses on God and your personal betterment.
Mind
Reading & Writing – Spend at least 20 minutes a day doing either one. It doesn’t have to be a ground breaking research paper, just focus on something that helps you grow by trying to learn something new. This can be reading a newspaper, or watching your favorite political pundit. I am in the camp that writing is just as necessary as reading. Writing allows your brain the opportunity to translate what you are consuming. It’s a reflection of what is important to you and in most cases will help you work through those things that have been nagging you at bedtime.
I recommend doing at least some of this writing pencil and paper (pen & pad). Research shows that hand writing is better for your memory and development in general. If you’re interested I recommend the TedX talk, ‘Why write? Penmanship for the 21st Century‘, by Jake Weidmann.
Body
Physical Fitness – Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. This is the one that everyone knows, but few actually do. I’m not saying you have to hit up a Crossfit Gym (although that would be awesome), but dedicating this amount of time daily to something that allows you to stretch, strengthen, and tone is essential to a balanced long life. As a person who enjoys hot wings & tacos as much as the next person, I would be remiss if I didn’t say you should try and eat healthy. Countless studies show how food affects our mood, our energy, and our sleep cycle. If you don’t eat the right foods, exercise is hard to get around to because you either wake up late or simply don’t have the energy.
Physical Fitness / Nutrition Education – Spend 10 minutes a week doing this. What!? Learn something about nutrition and exercise? Yes!
You should dedicate this time once a week to learn something new about physical fitness or nutrition as it relates to you. If you have high blood pressure, spend some time researching some foods that can help. If you have an old work injury or a trick knee, spend some time learning some movements that will make it a little easier to get up and down the stairs. If you don’t know where to start, crossfit.com has many professional athletes and physicians who contribute to their site and most of it is free. You don’t have to be a professional runner to purchase a running magazine, but there isn’t a professional runner, who doesn’t read running magazines – professional athletes study because they know it helps them get better. You should be doing the same.
That’s it! Simple right? Again, you don’t have to do it the exact same way I do. The most important thing is to make conscious efforts to set aside time to concentrate and grow in Spirit, Mind, and Body. Be intentional in setting aside time and focusing your energy. When you do, you will begin to formulate ways and solidify habits that will help you accomplish your goals in a realistic fashion.
Leaders Check 