Core value · Grace family
Balance
Giving each part of life its due
Also covers Moderation
What does balance mean as a core value?
Balance as a core value means giving each important part of life, such as work, health, family and friendships, enough time and energy so that none is neglected for long.
Balance, for you, means nothing in your life going hungry for long. Work gets its due, but so do your health, your family, your friendships and the things that simply make you happy. If balance is one of your core values, you tend to feel a part of life going neglected before you can say which one. You’re wary of extremes in food, drink, exercise and ambition, and being good at several things over a lifetime appeals to you more than being brilliant at one and run down everywhere else.
What does balance look like in practice?
- You protect evenings or weekends and treat them as commitments in their own right.
- You notice when one area has taken over for weeks and rebalance on purpose.
- You turn down a promotion or project if the cost to the rest of your life is too high.
- You enjoy a late night or a big week without letting it become a habit.
- You plan your year around several priorities at once.
When is balance overplayed?
Balance can become a reason never to go all in. Some things, like a start-up’s first year, a new baby or a family crisis, legitimately need more than their share for a while, and insisting on an even spread can mean missing them. It can also turn into a scheduling exercise that looks balanced on paper and feels flat in life. At its best, this value accepts seasons of imbalance, as long as they end. A good question in a busy season is: when does this end? If you can name a date, the imbalance is probably doing its job.
Often confused with
Balance vs Wellbeing
Wellbeing is about being healthy and well. Balance is about how you divide your time and energy across life, which often supports wellbeing too.
Balance vs Simplicity
Simplicity is having less clutter and complication. Balance can still be a full, busy life, as long as no part of it is neglected.
Balance vs Self-control
Self-control is restraining impulses in the moment. Balance is the bigger picture of moderation across your whole life.
Questions to sit with
- Which part of your life has been getting less than its due for the longest?
- What would you go all in on if you weren’t worried about balance?
- How do you know when a busy season has turned into a permanent state?
More values in Grace
Calm, composure and a quiet, balanced life.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
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