Welcome Autumn!

Today is the Autumnal Equinox – when day and night are equal length.   For me, these twice-yearly equinoxes are a reminder, an opportunity, to reflect on balance.

American Heritage Dictionary defines “balance” as “A harmonious or satisfying arrangement or proportion of parts or elements, as in a design.“

I love thinking about balance through this lens.  If our lives include a variety of parts or elements, how might they be arranged so that the result is harmonious and satisfying?  Here are some of my favorite questions for reflecting on balance.

What is most important to me today?

Life and work constantly evolve…what may have been important before may not be as important now.  The equinoxes bring a fantastic opportunity to look inward and see what’s most needed in your life today.

When I look at how I spend my time, does it reflect what’s most important to me?

When the answer is “yes”, the experience can be great – harmony, satisfaction, meaning and fulfillment.  Quite often the answer is “yes and no”.  And the elements that are not reflective of what’s most important to you today are an opportunity to make changes.  As you observe how you spend your time, be compassionate with yourself and non-judgmental.  Just see what there is to see, knowing that observation is a critical step on the journey to experience more balance and fulfillment in life and work.

What is one small step I can take to bring my life into greater balance?

As a coach, action is where the rubber meets the road.  We can have fantastic ideas but if we don’t actually do anything about them they remain simply ideas.  And when we have lots of ideas but no action we can experience frustration, resignation and cynicism.  So, I invite you to look and see…what do you need more of?  What do you need less of?  And what small step you can take to begin to bring your life into balance?

Here’s to enjoying and savoring Autumn!