Balance, in practice, sounds like another one of those promises we see on social media: images of smiling people, doing yoga on the beach at sunset, a colorful salad in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Everything is perfect, everything seems easy. But then, here we are, ordinary mortals, trying to balance everything — work, family, friends, training, nutrition, rest, fun — and the only thing we can actually balance is growing anxiety.
Striving for balance can, ironically, be the most unbalancing thing we do. Because in the process of trying to fit each piece into the puzzle of the “perfect life,” we forget that life is not a puzzle. It’s more like an out-of-control game of Tetris, where the pieces fall too fast and we’re always one move away from screaming, “Enough, can’t we just pause?”
What Really Matters?
The real problem isn’t that we’re not balanced, but that we’re not defining what really matters. Without clear priorities, everything seems equally urgent—or equally dispensable. And that’s when comfort catches up with us. If we don’t know where we want to go, it’s easy to run away to what’s easiest or most immediate: skipping a workout because “it’s okay,” ignoring a challenge because “I’ll start tomorrow.” In the end, we systematically ignore what makes us grow and get stuck in a frustrating cycle of postponed promises.
Setting priorities isn’t about being rigid or perfect; it’s about giving direction to your life. It’s about accepting that you can’t do everything at once, but that you can do the right things at the right time. Sometimes that means stepping out of your comfort zone, even if it hurts. Because that’s exactly where, in that discomfort, growth lies.
After all, balance isn't about being stable all the time. It's about knowing where you're going and accepting that, to get there, you're going to have to wobble a little. And that, in the end, isn't such a bad thing.
Rita Gomes
Personal Trainer BMS