Life is hard. There is never enough time to accomplish what we would like to and there are always challenges blocking our path. Unfortunately, we all only get 1440 minutes a day during which we must sleep, eat, work, decompress, nurture relationships, and try and live our lives to the fullest. The trick is how we prioritize and use our time. We all juggle several balls at the same time. Some are crafted of glass, precious or important and will clearly break if dropped, while others are made of rubber and will simply bounce back.
This metaphor of glass and rubber balls gives is a lens through which to view our priorities. The glass balls are those irreplaceable aspects of our lives that demand our unwavering attention and care. These could be our personal relationships, our health, financial obligations, or key professional responsibilities. Already, we have 5 balls to juggle, not to mention the individual tasks each represents! If we drop a glass ball, we may experience irreversible damage in one of these areas. A good reminder of how the fragility inherent in some of our most cherished pursuits.
On the other hand, rubber balls represent areas of our lives where there’s room for error, that may not require constant vigilance and that can be dropped without irreversible damage. We can recover and learn from our mistakes if we drop one of these. These might represent the smaller tasks that populate our daily lists, hobbies, and lesser commitments that, while enriching, can withstand neglect or delay. Understanding which balls in our life are made of rubber gives us the grace of flexibility and the permission to drop that ball, let it bounce and catch it without catastrophic consequences.
The challenge is to know the difference between our glass and rubber balls, so we can effectively prioritize our time without disruption our dreams and goals. Taking the time to understand what is important and what can wait (or be delegated altogether), lets us live more mindfully and use our limited time to the best effect. It invites a deliberate approach to our day-to-day, urging us to prioritize the fragile over the resilient, the irreplaceable over the recoverable. This perspective allows us to protect what is most precious to us while embracing and adjusting for the inherent unpredictability of life with adaptability and grace. It allows us to find our balance and gives us the guideposts needed to navigate our daily lives.
So, why not spend time reflecting on what is most important, and what can wait or be let go? Let’s think about our daily routines and commitments, sort through everything carefully to identify which are fragile, demanding constant care and attention and which can bounce back like rubber, giving you the time and space to care for what is most meaningful without falling behind.
“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.” – Jana Kingsford
Life will always be a juggle, but if we practice and understand the weight and material of the articles we juggle, we will find our balance. Share your stories of balance, resilience, and prioritization with us—we would love to hear them.
Have a great weekend.
-Vijay