One of the things I find myself constantly struggling with is finding balance. There are so many things to do in a day. And, truth be told, I get easily distracted. In many ways, I think my problem has to do with staying in the present moment. I am often lost in thought, thinking about the future or a problem that is bothering me. Kate - my dear wife - is often getting mad at me for not paying attention when we are talking. That's the thing, I am trying to keep so many things up in the air, that I often lose sight of what is important. So, how do you stay balanced?
I suppose a good first step is keeping my priorities straight. Family is probably number one. Okay, note to self. Make Kate, Chloe and Te'a more of a priority. Also, remember to call Mom and Dad regularly. And oh yeah, stay in contact with siblings. They are super important. Don't forget friends either. Second priority, be healthy. Without the day to day reminder of cycling, it's easy to let myself slip into an unhealthy lifestyle. Now, if I am a few pounds heavier, it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference. Of course that's is slippery slope. Oh yeah, I also need to make some money.
I think money is the one thing that I could stand to focus on a little more in this next phase of life. It's always been my last priority. Probably because I think it's the least important of the things I just mentioned. Now that I think about it though, I suppose there is a difference between the importance of things and the order of things. Money may be the least important of my priorities, but it should be the first.
Besides all the big stuff, there are all the day to day things to think of - like sleeping, eating, doing the dishes, changing diapers, etc. It's hard to keep track of it all. And, then there are things like writing e-mails and responding to texts and all that. Kate says I need more boundaries. Otherwise I end up being distracted all day and night. I think I need to be more organized. I need to keep my priorities straight and have clear ideas of what goes where and when I should do this or that. I guess I never realized how much I relied on cycling to provide a sense of structure and purpose in my life. Now I have to learn to live without it.
When I stop for a moment and think about it, my family really should be what I build my life around. I can set my schedule based on what works for them. Everything I do now going forward should be about making a better life for all of us. I guess the only way to find balance is to know what your balancing and where all your priorities are. If I can stay balanced, I can keep moving forward. Hopefully it's like riding a bike, the faster you go, the easier it is to balance. Here is hoping.
