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to relax and refresh; therefore, taking care of yourself is not selfish or unimportant.

Don't Expect Perfection

An unmade bed, dish in the sink, or unfinished project in the garage never killed anyone. Occasionally dropping the ball on minor responsibilities is an important concession for being there for others during major events. No one will care if the lasagna came from the freezer section or if a file is left on your desk at the end of the day. Some tasks need to be done perfectly, like heart surgery, important presentations, or repairing the electrical wiring in your home. However, most of the things we do in a day don't actually require perfection. Yes, there is a sense of satisfaction when your DVDs are arranged alphabetically, but it isn't a requirement. Accept that it is okay if tasks at work are sometimes postponed, and chores at home are occasionally neglected. The opportunity to do the work will be there tomorrow, but life is short, and you can never guarantee that you will be around for another day.

Delegate Tasks

After accepting that most things don't need to be perfect, you will no longer need to control every single task. If you find yourself amazed at how often your home needs cleaning, it is likely that the rest of your household is contributing to the messes you find. Figure out ways for chores to be divided equally. The next time a project is assigned to you at work, consider asking if someone else could assist, or suggest that a specific person be brought into the project because of his or her specialized skills.

Try Positive Multitasking

Multi-tasking can actually cause additional stress and decrease productivity. So, while it is important not to combine making blackberry pie with sending emails on your Blackberry, there are some tasks that can be paired to actually increase your sense of accomplishment and fuel your inner peace. Consider listening to audio books during your commute. You can catch up on the bestsellers list while sitting in stop and go traffic. When taking the time to exercise, consider pairing your power walk with the phone call to that long-lost friend you have been meaning to call. Successful positive multi-tasking only occurs when value is added to an activity by combining it with another task.

Protect Your Free Time

Do whatever it takes to keep your unscheduled time free from obligations that are no-fun. If the project will require overtime, try to spread it out during the week, rather than going into work on the weekend. Make sure that household chores mostly get done during the week, so that you can enjoy activities and adventures with your favorite people during the weekend. Your day off shouldn't be spent on tasks that don't bring joy into your life.

It is difficult for everyone to find balance in their lives. However, finding balance doesn't mean that your life is always perfectly centered, sometimes there has to be a little give and take. Just like when riding a bicycle, sometimes you might wobble a little bit or even tip over in your search for balance, but as long as you keep moving and pay attention to the world around you, you can stay balanced and enjoy the beautiful ride.

Learn more about this author, Jody Barnes.
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