Life is all about balance. More times than not, a balanced life means a happy and decent life. But sadly, it is not that easy. I have definitely had my fair share of difficulties regarding balance.

This year, I am in my first year of high school. That means that I have a lot of work. There are so many assignments due and always this feeling of never having enough time. It takes up so much time and energy that sometimes I don’t have time to work on my other goals or hobbies. It might be because both of my parent’s work, but quality family time is hard to achieve too. As a teenager, I also want to leave the house and go to new places with my friends. There are also shows I want to watch and hobbies I like. There are so many components that it can be hard to balance.

 

The hardest part about a balanced schedule is putting in the effort to make time for things. It’s almost as if I am too ambitious at times. I want to get good grades, have time for family, go out with friends, and watch all the shows I want to while still getting enough sleep. My overambition doesn’t lead to any success, and so many times, I will be cooped up in my room doing assignments instead of spending time with my family. In a balanced lifestyle, there is a sufficient amount of everything. Not too much of something and too little of others. I need to strive to achieve that.

 

In addition to all the school work I have, there are other things I have to do. I need time for sleep, socialization, entertainment, and any other chores or activities I might have to do. All these things require time and there are only twenty-four hours in a day. I can’t possibly do all of them in a sufficient amount. This quote clears my head and helps me keep my priorities, “There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always time to do the most important thing” by Brian Tracy. One day, I came across this quote when I was scrolling through my social media feed, and I found it interesting. There will always be something that needs to be done but by having priorities, I can get done what needs to be done. However, this can also be negative. For example: if I only prioritize my school and not things like exercising and having a good sleep schedule, my health can deteriorate. But, in my opinion, this is where balance comes in. There has to be a good balance of everything in life. Yes, it is important to make priorities and get assignments done but too much of everything is bad. There needs to be a good mixture of everything in a schedule. The schedule needs to be set up in a way that there is enough time to complete what's important but also a little bit of time to do enjoyable and relaxing things. 

 

I might know how to have priorities or have a balanced schedule, but personally, I find it tremendously hard to actually keep everything balanced. There are times when I just scroll through my social media for thirty minutes or binge-watch a TV show for hours. There have also been times when I sit down to work and get distracted by the tiniest things. When all these things keep on happening, I am not able to implement a tight schedule like I want to. Whenever I have completed all my assignments and maintained my social life, my sleep schedule seems to be non-existent. Whenever I have a good sleep schedule and a good balance of alone time and socialization, my work seems to have piled up. 

 

However, it is partially my fault. Even though I have so much work and so many things I could be doing, I procrastinate and let my work pile up. I have so many distractions around me that I often can’t get stuff done. Whenever it’s the weekend, all I want to do is get dinner with family or go out with friends. I have so many wants that I keep on struggling to do compulsory things in my life. It's like a complicated math problem that will take time, patience, and determination to solve. To achieve a good balance of things, I need to be determined. 

 

Living a balanced life is difficult but not impossible. A balanced lifestyle can look different for everyone. A schedule that works for your lifestyle, dedication, and priorities will lead to a more balanced life. It may require a lot of effort and consistency, but when there are only two tasks that aren’t important on the to-do list because of the balanced schedule, it will all be worth it. Once a positive mindset is implemented, the rest will follow.