Edging toward equilibrium

(A-Z Challenge: E)

Looking at my calendar for tomorrow, figuring out whether I should try for a super early morning workout, or if I should get up early and write my blog post for the day. Or I could consider making it in to work at a reasonable time.

I'm playing calendar tetris: If I exercise in the morning, maybe I can write the blog post during my lunch break. But what if I don't get that break? Or, maybe I could exercise before work and then write after the kids are in bed and the lunches are made and the dishes are done, although then my F post tomorrow would likely be titled "Fell asleep while blogging."

I started CrossFit and the Blogging From A-Z Challenge in the same week. The goal was to balance my work/partnership/parenting/household stuff with a couple of things that will keep me sane: creative expression and rigorous exercise. I figured that since I can't really subtract any of my "must do's" then balance would come in the form of adding things to the other side of the scale. Things I do for myself.

But the equations we come up with in a quest for a balanced life don't always lead to a serenely vibrant life. It can end up getting a bit harried trying to keep up with everything we're doing. "Balance" and "equilibrium" probably have a similar dictionary definition, but to me, balance is measurable equality, while equilibrium is more of a fluid and constantly-adjusting state of stability.

I can add writing and exercise to my day-to-day routines and meet my technical definition of balance, but if I'm stressed out and exhausted because now I have too many things going on, that's not equilibrium. Going in to my second week of exercise and blogging, my goal is to make sure that I set myself up for equilibrium, adding in the things I'm excited about a way that's sustainable and positive over time.