How to Have a More Balanced Life Starting Today! + A FREE PRINTABLE WEEKLY PLANNER - This is the Life! - Build the Life of Your Dreams

How to Have a More Balanced Life Starting Today! + A FREE PRINTABLE WEEKLY PLANNER

April 26, 2020


happy girl working from home on her laptop

Sooner or later, this lockdown is going to end and we will all get back to our normal lives (or something close to what used to be normal).

A lot of people who stayed at home during this time might have found a better work-life balance by not wasting time on the usual commute and found more free time to focus on self-care and their hobbies.

As a result, I will risk saying that despite the worrying circumstances, a lot of people are probably having the break they have needed for a long time and feeling more balanced.

Going back to the normal routine has high potential to disrupt this balance all over again and get us back to the same old frustration.

However, if we learned anything during these hard times, it's that we shouldn't let ourselves get back to our old stressful lifestyle and let time fly by mindlessly and unintentionally.

And while you probably can't avoid going back to your job, there are steps you can take to start fresh and adopt a new approach to life.


How to create a more balanced lifestyle for yourself


You might want to grab a notebook and a pencil for this.

In alternative, you can just print out this free planner I made for you and fill it in!




1. Get your priorities straight

In order to be happier and more fulfilled, we need to figure out what our priorities are in life and make sure we spend time on those consistently.

So what are your priorities? 

List them down from most to least important.

Be realistic, though - you should probably limit them to no more than 4 (although it depends on your free time or the time taken up by the activity that you want to prioritize).

An example of a list of priorities would be:
1. Spending quality time with family/significant other;
2. Exercise 2-3 times a week;
3. Read more;
4. Write one blog post per week.

Now that you've done that, you have to make sure that you allocate time for those things.

2. Schedule it

Have you ever heard that Tony Robbins quote: "If you talk about it, it's a dream, if you envision it, it's possible, but if you schedule it, it's real"?

It's true! 

If you schedule something, you're a lot more likely to actually stick to it. PLUS you won't feel guilty for not using your free time to do something "more productive" because you scheduled your time so you could do both.

Start with the basics:

  • First, draw a weekly schedule from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep and divide each line by hour or even by half-hour (you can also just use the one that's on the downloadable Weekly Planner);

  • Then, fill in the time that is occupied by your job on your schedule - the time that you're at work.

  • Be sure to separate your work breaks (e.g. lunchtime) and the time you take on your commute (if you don't drive to work) because you might be able to use those to tackle some of your plans! Otherwise, just block it all out as work time.

  • Fill in the time for any weekly appointments or fixed events you might have.

Now you can visualize your free time.

The next thing you want do is look at your priorities and start scheduling time for them:

  • Start with your number one priority;
  • Alternatively, you can start with the priority that has specific dates and times to be executed, if it doesn't take away time available for your first priority - e.g. if you want to go to a yoga class, you probably have a certain day and time to go;
  • Remember to be realistic with your plans and your schedule - don't put too much on your plate!
  • Use different colors to identify the different activities.
Extra Tip: If you don't have enough time for everything in one week or you don't want to overfill your schedule, you can always schedule rotating activities.

You could use, for example, one Sunday afternoon for a less important goal and the next Sunday afternoon to reinforce time spent on a more important one - e.g. on one week you work on a hobby and on the other week you add a special family-time activity, like going on a hike or having a picnic.

Leave unscheduled free time for regular down time.

On those days, you will be able to just do what you feel like - want to watch a tv show? Great!Prefer to take a bubble bath and apply a face mask today? Then do that!

When you're done making your schedule, make sure you're happy with the result. Test it out next week to see what you need to adjust!



3. Follow the plan

To make sure you follow your schedule and maintain a balanced daily life, you can put it up on your fridge or on a memo board so you can see it easily and remember your goals for that day.

You could also use a reminder or calendar app on your phone if you prefer - that way, you can even set notifications to remind you of the plans you have scheduled.

Try to stick to your plans - spending enjoyable free time is just as important as taking care of your obligations!

However, don't be too hard on yourself or too strict with the schedule. 

Sometimes things happen that change the course of your day and that's fine!

Just switch things around on that week if you need to or get back on track on the next week if you have a particularly busy one.

There's no right or wrong, just ensuring you give yourself the best chance at balance and happiness!


What do you do to maintain balance in your daily life? Have you tried scheduling time for your priorities?

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