Balancing Life, Work, and Swimming

A friend of mine gave me some advice awhile back in regards to balancing my life. No matter what you do give it 100%. If you are spending time with your family, focus on your family. If you are at work, focus on work. We will never find time to fit everything in. Therefore, try and make the most of the time allowed for each activity. This is some really good advice. I often make things much worse by cramming too much stuff into the day. Workout, morning meeting, work, another meeting, family time, social time...now I remember why I didn't mind training for hours every day when I was in high school and college--I really didn't have all of those other things pulling on me. A serious comment now (not like my last one): a wise person once told me that at any one time you can get 2 out of 3 things "right" in your life: work, family/friends and personal pursuits. Which 2 things will ebb and flow based upon demands and your interests, but just aim to do 2 "on target." It's rare for me to get them all. I try hard to make family always one of those things "on target," but don't always make that happen ... sometimes I have to reprioritize work to the top of the list. For me, balance is not about getting the same proportions right every single day, but getting them mostly right over a longer time period. I like that. Getting them mostly right is probably what I will have to aim for.

sell the kids. eat your pets. quit your job. buy a VW bus to live in and swim whenever you like.

I would suggest something I have done in the past and still do - a body weight exercise circuit done at home. You need minimal or no equipment, it can be done in 20-30 minutes and will give you a great w/o. Go here to see what I mean: www.rosstraining.com Doing two bw sessions a week + 2 swimming sessions will keep you in great shape. I can also recommend Ross Enamait's book on BW exercises: Never Gymless which you'll find at Ross' website.

Alison, I like how you have been able to make everything work for you and your situation. It is good that you have a very understanding family! The main problem for me is that my work schedule is unpredictable. I work long hours, and working from home is not an option for the type of job that I do. How busy we are at work really dictates how much energy I have to devote to other things. I really feel that after work, I don't want to take time away from my family (no kids yet, but a husband and a dog) to spend swimming. I had been pretty good about going early and swimming, but my work schedule changed so that I was either going in to work early or working late. Something had to give, and it was swimming. I know that there is a better way to do it and I just want to know how other people are able to do. I know it's hard when work is late. When I did work, I hated being away at night for swimming but then I realized I was a better person because I took that time to swim. Can you try it a few nights a week? How early is early is early for the morning swim?

Really glad to see posts on this topic. We recently adopted a dog and we're trying to adjust our schedules with the new family member. It is nice to hear from so many people on what they do to find balance and the struggles they can have with it. There are days I read through the blogs and I feel like a complete slacker and wonder why can't I do it all??? It's good to be reminded that for most people it takes work to find a good balance and that life can get in the way of certain things and that when it does, that's ok, it happens to us all sooner or later. What is important is how we deal with it. I'm hoping to get back on a more regular schedule next week assuming the new pup continues to make progress in her training, for now I am enjoying coming home to her after work, taking walks through the neighborhood, and watching her go crazy at the dog park!

Katie, you might browse the WSJ's The Juggle. http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/ In today's issue there was a column on people who attempt to do it all on very little sleep.

We may never win the battle of balancing life. I do believe that everyone need time to escape life for awhile everyday. Whether that time is spent reading, swimming, jogging ... whatever. Without this time to ourselves life will start to win the battle. I am able to swim three days a week first thing in the morning while my wife and children are sleeping. I also swim two evenings when my children are of with my wife at their activities. It really helps to have a understanding spouse.

I know this isn't going to work for everyone, but if you can try to work as regular a work schedule as possible. I know lots of times things come up at the end of the day and you end up working later. When possible, just say no. Set a time that you are going to stop working and stick to it. That work will still be there the next morning and, most of the time, the world won't end of you don't get around to it that day!

I am very lucky in this regard because where I work fitness is not only encouraged, but required. I get an extra hour to use for fitness, three times a week in conjunction with my lunch. So I get a 2.5 hour lunch on Mon, Wed, and Fri to spend at the pool. Unfortunately very few actually participate in fitness with the program so I am left with envious coworkers trying to sabotoge my planned schedule, but it's nevertheless just a minor nuisance. Still relatively new to balancing competition with family but for my first meet my family (wife, and two kids 11 & 13) came along. I only swam Saturday's events and the remaining weekend was spent having fun doing family things like pranks on each other at the hotel, dining, going to a museum, running around on the beach, listening to the kids fight. They're definately looking forward to Atlanta.

I get an extra hour to use for fitness, three times a week in conjunction with my lunch. So I get a 2.5 hour lunch on Mon, Wed, and Fri to spend at the pool. That's awesome and I wish more employers got on the band wagon with this!