Life is demanding, and it’s very easy to feel that life is out of control. We have so many plates spinning at one time, that it is sometimes is hard to keep up. 

But you have a choice. 

You can bring harmony to your life if you make it a priority.

A busy life can be meaningful, interesting, and exciting. It doesn’t have to be a drain on the body.

Try these effective strategies to create harmony in your life:

1. Learn to be more patient. This is one I am in constant pursuit of. A lack of patience makes every situation more challenging. Again, ask me how I know. A little patience makes many challenging situations manageable. I have learned and am still learning to just wait; things always work out. Try this: when the situation arises, pause and say to yourself “this is a time to practice patience”.
   
2. Simplify. It’s very easy in today’s world to buy more things than you need and take on more responsibilities than you can manage. Every extra item and responsibility in your life can create imbalance. This is another lesson I am learning. I have learned to eliminate the superfluous and bring more harmony into my life. I do an annual purge in December and it feels great. 
   
3. Give your health a priority. Life is short people. Really short. You have to matter to yourself. When life gets hectic, our first response is to sacrifice ourselves for everyone and everything else. This is a mistake. Without good health, life has no harmony because you are not operating at 100%. If you aren’t well, everything you are working on doesn’t matter.
4. Create a schedule that includes downtime. Yes, I highly recommend scheduling downtime. Downtime isn’t just the time that’s left over after your responsibilities are completed. Downtime is something you do on purpose. Plan for it. Schedule it. Actually put it on the calendar. Make time for it. Knowing you have a break scheduled soon will motivate you to spend your time more effectively. It gives you something to look forward to
   
5. Get started early. Here is another one I am working on. I understand getting up early is not for everyone. It’s challenging to start the day early, and it’s common to procrastinate. Time is such a valuable resource. We’re all limited to 24 hours. Once you fall behind, the entire day is out of harmony. Start off small. Get up 15 minutes earlier and see how you flow from there. 
   
6. Spend time on the activities that mean the most to you. Do what YOU like to do! Your family is likely a priority, but what else do you find meaningful? Hiking? Playing the violin? Watching TV? Reading? Working isn’t the only priority in life. The more time you’re able to spend on enjoyable activities, the more you’ll enjoy your life.
   
7. Spend time on your relationships. This includes, but isn’t limited to, your romantic relationships and friendships. I make sure I go out to dinner with the friends I don’t see as often. It takes time, but you normally feel great after you have spent that time.
8. Get enough sleep. Do you sleep less than seven hours each night? I know, this is a hard one for some. However, sleep is a powerful thing. Arianna Huffington wrote a whole book on it. Studies have shown that performance increases for many tasks, both physical and mental, when people receive at least seven hours of sleep.
   
9. Make yourself your biggest priority. When you take good care of yourself, you can take better care of others. Yep, you guessed it-this means put yourself FIRST. When you’re at your best, your performance at work is at its highest. It might seem selfish to prioritize your own needs and happiness, but everyone in your life will benefit from this mindset and respect you more. Think about the example you are setting for others; people are always watching, especially your children.

Define what having a “harmonized life” means to you. How much time would you spend at work? How much time would you spend at home? How many leisure hours do you need each week? How would you spend those hours? Create a well-harmonized life by choosing your priorities wisely.

Let me know how your “harmonizing” is going…

Marla J. Albertie

Your Life-Harmonizing Strategist