004. Balance - Redefining & Reframing (2 of 3)
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INTRO
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Lisa: [00:00:00] Simplicity, balance, and efficiency shouldn't just be items on your eternal wishlist. If you're a side hustler or mompreneur who wants to level. Up and be a true CEO, create a business that supports your family while still maintaining a life you love, you're in the right place. I'm your host, Lisa Kinser, and you're listening to The Simply Booked Podcast. I'm a wife, #girlmom of two, bookkeeper, and owner of Simply Booked, LLC. Where I help small business owners like you know and grow their profits. So heat that cup of coffee for .The third time this morning, and let's get started.
CONTENT
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Lisa: Hey everyone! Thank you again for joining me for episode four of The Simply Booked Podcast today. I have finally gotten into a groove with recording, editing, marketing, and posting these. I do this all myself and I'm having a lot of fun with them so hopefully you enjoy listening as much as I enjoy creating. Today's episode is part two of a three-part [00:01:00] series. The pillars of my business are simplicity, balance, and efficiency.
And although these are relatively straightforward concepts, I wanted to dive a little deeper into each and explain what they mean to me and how I implement them in my business and my life. So I have a love, hate relationship with the Enneagram. And I'll go ahead and tell you; I'm a one wing nine, AKA "The Optimist". I don't know if I would necessarily label myself as an optimist. Most of the time I think I'm more of a Debbie Downer. I'm the one who will shut down a rumor if I witnessed the event and hear others exaggerating about it, especially if it's taking a negative tone.
Or, I heard a group of people talking about a video that showed a train plowing through several feet of snow, and they claimed that that was taken in Oklahoma during a recent winter storm. [00:02:00] So in that case, I'm the first to investigate, and I discovered the original video is taken in Minnesota, and spoil everyone's fun with my research skills and it tends to go unappreciated in these circumstances. Who knows why. The truth isn't always as fun, but it's better, right? Obviously I think so. But hopefully that little story helps you understand why it's hard for me to think that the label of an optimist describes me.
And the Enneagram is hard because you really hear negative things about yourself and you really come to terms with the truth of that. So that's why I have a love, hate relationship with it. I love it when it's like, oh, you're organized. And you're the one that's always on top of things. And so that's good to hear, but I don't like hearing that sometimes I'm too rigid and you know, like the negative side of those things, which are still [00:03:00] true, they're just as true as the fun things. But anyway, that's kind of the, the complications I have with that. I suppose I try to see the good in circumstances and people. And try my hardest, not to make assumptions. So because of this sometimes pronounced personality traits of other people will go completely unnoticed by me. So maybe that makes me an optimist? I don't know. I'm not an Enneagram coach or even claim to be good at deciphering all the different types since obviously I have a hard enough time grasping my own. But seriously, other than the label, not seeming to fit all of the explanations, the details I've read about the one week nine fits me to a T. Except I'm never on time for things. That's probably the biggest thing that doesn't compute. How can I be a perfectionist about everything else in my life? But not give myself enough time to get places. I have no clue. I don't know what [00:04:00] that is.
When I had a corporate job, I felt like that was my biggest flaw. I was always late. And unless I had some sort of consequence, it never got any better. What's up with that? I always felt justified with that vice, since I'm pretty sure that was my biggest vice and worst as an employee. Cause I was a pretty darn good employee, honestly. So why am I telling you all of this? It's not on the topic at all.
Well, I guess this is turning into more of a therapy session or something. So. I feel much better now that I've gotten that out of the way. So let's dig in to how I define balance and how I strive to keep my business and life in balance. I've heard a lot of people talk about balance. Some say it isn't ever achievable and therefore, to not strive for it.
And others claim that they have it on the outside. But suffer from [00:05:00] imbalances on the inside in secret. So I'm not going to do either of those things today. My definition of balance comes from riding a bike. What happens when you first sit on a bike and pick up your feet? Usually you start to lean to one side or the other until you start moving.
So momentum is what makes it easier to keep yourself in balance. Forward movement is necessary. So some people can balance without motion, but I'm not talking about that talent level today. Something else that is necessary besides forward movement is shifting your weight from side to side as you move forward.
So the balance is somewhere in the middle, and you don't usually stay perfect balance for long. It's a fluid and fleeting moment that comes and goes like waves all while making tiny adjustments along the way to keep yourself upright. And eventually you get to your destination. I love analogies. So I'm going to play with this one for [00:06:00] awhile, because it makes perfect sense to me and allows my perfectionist brain to understand that balance isn't achieved at a standstill frozen in time, or is a constant by any means. Balance ebbs and flows. Balance rocks back and forth. And balance has its ups and downs. Does all of that mean that you still don't strive for balance when you're riding a bike? Of course you do. And that saying when something is just like riding a bike, usually refers to something being mindless or a skill that never really goes away. Even if you don't practice it.
But just like riding a bike, if you only look to your right side, You tend to travel towards the right. You move in the direction of your focus and the same goes for your balance in your life and business. If you're easily distracted, you might slow your pace veer off your intended path. It might take you a little longer to get back, and that's perfectly fine, even [00:07:00] if it isn't always intentional. And as long as you don't get lost entirely, you can find your way back to your path and keep going.
I've recently been interested in cycle sinking. If you haven't heard of that before, it's a way to synchronize our activities, foods, social events, et cetera around your unique hormonal cycle. And I haven't read any books on this, but there are more and more resources about this popping up everywhere, it seems. It's an empowering way to allow yourself to feel the ebbs and flows of your own physical body, and sync your work in life around that; not trying to fight it.
Or in my case, one of my favorite ways to use this cycle sinking knowledge is when I'm feeling out of energy. I found an excellent principal resource on this, that I'll link in the show notes, but it equates the menstrual phase to winter; the follicular phase to spring; the ovulatory phase is summer; and the luteal phase [00:08:00] is fall.
So lately, if I feel like I have low energy in the afternoons, sometimes I wonder if taking a nap is the best idea or if a second cup of coffee is a better idea. So I look at my hormonal phase to help answer that question. If it's a time when my body might need more rest like luteal or menstrual phase, I will allow myself to take a nap, or lay down and rest and that's more likely to energize me. Whereas if it's follicular or ovulatory phases, I'm more likely to grab an iced coffee and keep moving. So I hope this bicycle analogy and cycle synchronization discussion has helped you think of ways that you can see the word balance differently in your life and business.
Ultimately, there are seasons for everything. And allowing yourself to be fully present in each season, will help you find the balance. So that might be leaning towards the left sometimes, and then shifting your [00:09:00] weight to the right at other times, and you're still in balance. Don't let yourself think that leaning one direction or another as your body wants you to, and as your energy level fluctuates that you're doing yourself a disservice. You are absolutely serving yourself well when you trust yourself that way.
Keep your focus on your goals. Give yourself the freedom to be leisurely when that feels right, and speed up with your head down on your road bike when you have that sort of energetic focus. And just keep going forward. Thanks for joining me on today's episode and I'll see you next time.
OUTRO
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Lisa: Thank you so much for listening, and you've made it all the way to the end! To view the complete show notes and all the links mentioned in today's episode, please visit simplybooked.llc/podcast. And before you go, make sure you leave a rating and review because even though it just takes a few seconds, it really does make a difference. Thanks again for joining me [00:10:00] in this episode of The Simply Booked Podcast i'll see you soon!
