Achieving balance in a world that's forever getting faster

I have come to realise that today's fast moving world has made it harder than ever to bring balance into my life. It should then, be possible, to stop the unwanted cycle of stress, fatigue and frustration and bring balance back into my life. Please can someone show me that life balance is genuinely possible.

A few years ago, in the summer of 2015, I learned (the hard way) that nothing in life is worth diminishing our mental health over. Nothing is worth poisoning ourselves into a pit of stress, anxiety and personal chaos. There have been times in the past where I have physically and mentally exhausted myself due to working irregular hours. Throughout this season of my life, I was committed to reaching given targets, breaking company records, beating personal bests and fighting my way along in life. I can vaguely remember a discussion with an old colleague on the topic.

I have a choice over how I choose to invest or waste my time. Apparently those in life who learn to manage themselves (and their time) are those who usually go on to accomplish great things. Although we all have different interpretations of what work life balance looks like, for me it is to have available time for doing the things I'm passionate about outside of a work focused environment. For me, life balance could mean spending more time with family, more time available to dedicate to self improvement, or even having more time to spend at the gym getting my body into better physical shape. This realisation has resulted from my most significant life failures, not from my biggest successes.

I want to have a healthy life balance between work (which incorporates my career, education and ambitions) and 'lifestyle' (which incorporates my health, leisure and relationships). Since the journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step, I don't want to be one of these people nearing the end of their lives who have often looked back on the life they'd lived, and said "If only I'd done things differently" ... "if only I'd made better choices" ... "if only I'd spent more time with my family or kids...". Life is full of countless opportunities, for great successes and significant failures. I've now realised that it is down to me to make use of every opportunity that comes my way. Without a clear focus on my guiding values and priorities, I fear that I run a real risk of successfully climbing a very long ladder only to find it leaning against the wrong wall. This is why I want to get into the habit of regularly considering my core priorities.

The main areas of importance in my life are:

• Social and Family Relationships

• Career and Educational Aspirations

• Money and Personal Finances

• Physical Health, Recreation and Leisure

• Life's Routine Responsibilities

• Giving back to society and contributions

• Mental, emotional and inner wellbeing.

I have learnt from experience that it is possible to overload in life as a result of the demands associated with work and home lives. In the past this overload has come as I attempted to manage (and maintain) my relationships, my physical health, manage my finances, my routine responsibilities and even providing a tutoring service within my local community.

Social and Family Relationships

One of my main goals in this area is to become more confident in social reciprocation.

Career and Educational Aspirations

One of my main goals in this area is to achieve my PhD in predicting whether socio economic status is a predictor of CQC / QOF Outcomes.

Money and Personal Finances

One of my main goals in this area is to contribute a set amount on a monthly basis.

Health, Recreation and Leisure

One of my main goals in this area is to join a gym and attend three times per week.

Life's Routine Responsibilities

One of my main goals in this area is to become more disciplined in managing my bills and other routine responsibilities.

Contribution and Giving Back to Society

One of my main goals in this area is to contribute back to society and make more of a difference.

Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Health

One of my main goals in this area is to devote more time to developing myself spiritually.