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When I began paying attention to my self care and search for “life balance” about seven years ago, I was encouraged by my coaches at the time to consider my life balance wheel. By filling in how satisfied or dissatisfied I was with different areas of my life, I could see how skewed and “off balance” I was and what areas I could focus on to, well, get in balance. If you could imagine rolling that wheel, it would be a really rocky ride.

These days, I’ve come to learn that life ebbs and flows depending on what’s going on. Seven years ago, I had a toddler, a pre-schooler, and a fledgling business that had to succeed in order for us to pay the bills. Sure, I learned that extreme self-care was valuable and something I’d neglected having dedicated my life at the time to attachment parenting without a village (support system). In hindsight, I learned that the tidal wave of early parenting was intense, and that it passed me by quick as a flash.

How did I learn to manage the constant changing of tides? I experimented with many different systems of organizing the different areas of my life. I dumped more systems than I kept, or at the very least, took what helped me and left the rest.

I now have a 3rd grader and a new middle schooler (I’m still getting over the shock of that!), and over the last 2-3 years I’ve realized each calendar year has a familiar rhythm. My year begins in late summer at the start of the school year and the arrival of the acorns. There’s a fresh new energy in our home at this time, where I create new plans for my business, get used to the new schedule of shuttling the children to school and dance and sports, and come up with a new strategy for meal planning.

My son’s late November birthday kicks off the holiday season and we relish our family Christmas traditions and the winter break from school. My daughter’s birthday in January is typically the start of the Texas winter, when I start longing eagerly for Spring to begin.

I celebrate the first sighting of the redbud and Mexican plum trees flowering and shortly thereafter realize the Spring craziness will begin, with baseball, dance recitals and the end of school. Then, my beloved kiddos and I have lots of fun throughout the summer, where we hibernate in our own special way.

As I plan my classes and workshops for the next six months, I am reminded even more of how much I depend on this predictable rhythm. I have the most energy for my business during the fall, and it starts to wane from about May through July.

What’s nice about having this knowledge is that I don’t refer to the life balance wheel now, nor do I need to ensure satisfaction in all areas of my life at all times. It’s an unattainable falsehood, this idea of life balance. I never achieved it all the years I strived for it.

However, when I began noticing the rhythm of my life, I began to let myself off the hook more and live in the present more often. I learned when it was time to let go of responsibilities that didn’t fit with my rhythm, and I started prioritizing what mattered easily and without guilt.

Living according the rhythm of life is similar to allowing the growth of new life within us. It’s part surrender, part inner listening. It’s also about allowing more and observing more, and I’ve found it often results in more inspiration, the natural unfolding of new business, and everything seems to just… work.

Do you allow your life’s rhythm to guide you? Share your experiences with us!

These posts may also inspire you:

1. How Balanced are the Various Areas of Your Life?
2. 5 Ways to Maximize Your Time Working At Home
3. The Heart of a Business Lies in our Heart

Son: “Mom, is this check really for $xxx.00?”

Me, glancing up from my laptop: “Yes it is. I get paid to teach childbirth classes.”

Son: “But do you like doing it?”

At this point I stopped and really took a good look at him. I smiled and said, “Yes, I really enjoy it. And I want you to always remember how important it is to love your work.”

And we joked about two of the benefits of doing work you love:

1. You’ll likely pinch yourself every once in a while and say to yourself, “Gee, I can’t believe people are actually PAYING me to do this!”
2. Work will not seem like “work”. The time will fly, and you will enjoy what you’re doing every day.

Sure, there are risks to doing work you love:

1. The income may not be what is necessary to support your expenses.
2. The actual running of a business can put a damper on and take up precious time that you’d rather dedicate to doing the work you love.

It’s funny, though, because I believe and know that with passion, determination and diligence, people become amazingly creative in making things work out. Both my husband and I have done some crazy things in the last ten years to ensure that we get to do the work we love. It’s not always been easy, but so far things have worked out for us, and I also feel our children have received an important education in business ownership, work ethic, and life balance.

Upon thinking about the title “…for Love or Money”, there is abundance that flows from doing work you love, and it can and does include money. So, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Some of my most rewarding moments from doing birth work have come from volunteering. I’ve found, interestingly enough, that when I’ve poured my heart into my volunteer work, I come home to messages and emails inquiring about paid opportunities. Doing work you love attracts more work you love. The key is in the focus and continual attention to it.

I so appreciate my son reminding me about why I do what I do.

What are your thoughts on this?

These posts may also inspire you:

1. What is Your Relationship with Money Like? (Yes, I Am Going There)
2. Ask Inspired Birth Pro: Getting Paid for Birth Doula Services
3. 5 Ways to Maximize Your Time Working At Home

Image by adesigna via Flickr

Work-Life Balance. It’s what I encourage both my doula and coaching clients to strive for, but admittedly, I could use some help in that department myself. I love what I do and consider my work my passion. It’s difficult for me at times to create boundaries around my work when I lose myself in it.

However, after having experienced two bouts of illness over the last two months, my body has made it abundantly clear that it is time for me to really walk my talk.

For the home business owner, time management is critical for maintaining peace of mind and peace within your family. It’s important that you be as productive as possible in the time you set aside for work so you can enjoy life more when you’re away from it.

Here are two questions to think about:

Based on your goals and aspirations, how many hours would you like to work each week?

Take into account time needed in your office to work on administrative tasks, time taken for interviews, client visits, workshops and networking. How many births would you like to attend each month, and how much time aside from the birth will be required per client? You should also consider other responsibilities and obligations that you have, as well as the minimum amount of time you’d like to have with your family. Remember there are only 24 hours in a day, and a chunk of that is required for basic self-care like sleeping and eating.

What days of the week and what times of day will be best for you to engage in work activities?

I like to do as much as possible while my kids are at school. I do my best to limit evening activities to one per week, and weekend activities to twice per month. It doesn’t always happen this way, but it helps me to limit myself so I don’t commit to too many activities and overburden my family by being gone too often. What would be ideal for you?

When answering these questions, it really helps to consider your values regarding your self-care and your family. When you are clear about nurturing yourself and your family BEFORE you consider how much time you’ll dedicate to work, it’s easier to say “no” to people and things that call for your attention.

What kind of adjustments to your schedule to help you make the most of your working time?

These posts may also inspire you:

1. Time Management Strategies for Work-Life Balance, Part II
2. Where Do You Fall Short and What To Do About It
3. Incorporating the Big Rocks Into Your Life