Balance in life: school, work and content creation!

 How do you define balance daily, and why is it important to you?

    Balance in my life is significant. Balance means being able to do everything you want to do when you want to do it, and the biggest enemy of balance is distractions. For me, balance is the ability to stay disciplined with my time, goals, and plans. As a content creator who posts 2-3 pieces of content every day while also attending school and working, balance is crucial. It's not only important for achieving goals but also for maintaining relationships, sustaining friendships, and creating time for myself and God. These are top priorities in my life, and without balance, none of this is possible.

What strategies or habits have you found effective in maintaining a balance between work and personal life?

    I've mentioned this before in my other blog posts, but I will keep preaching it. For me, the best way to achieve everything you want is to avoid trying to do everything at once or in one day. Don't try to take pictures, edit, do school work, etc., all on the same day—you won't achieve much. The best way I maintain balance is by spreading my activities throughout the week.

I write down my goals and assign them to different days. For example:

• Monday: Make videos and take pictures
• Tuesday: Edit pictures and spend time with friends
• Wednesday: Go through school work and write blogs
• Thursday: Bible study and spend time with family
• Friday: Make YouTube videos
• Saturday: Edit YouTube videos and watch a movie
• Sunday: Go to church and play frisbee

This way, your days are easier, and you can really concentrate on each task at hand. Tip: try not to overload your day with too many activities because you still have daily tasks like work, school, reading, etc. This approach creates space for you to complete other things. So, look at your goals or plans and try to distribute them throughout the week to make life easier for you and those around you. Create balance for yourself!

Can you share a time when you felt unbalanced and how you managed to restore harmony?

    The feeling of imbalance is going to be there for three reasons: first, because we are humans; second, because we are not perfect; and third, because we don't know the future. There will be times when something unexpected happens and you can't accomplish your tasks for the day, which can throw you off balance. Sometimes you might fall sick or have an emergency; you never know. Keep in mind that you can only try your best, but you can't be balanced every single time or day, so don't always feel bad when these kinds of things happen.

When I started university and began taking content creation very seriously, I felt so burnt out that I began to hate my goals. Sometimes, just thinking about them burnt me out, and that was because I didn't have a balanced plan. I wanted to do everything at the same time and on the same day and trust me, that style isn't sustainable. What saved me was reading the book "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss. In the book, his goal was to make work easier and more sustainable, and that is where he mentioned the strategy that I shared in the second question. The strategy brought a lot of harmony to my work, school, time, and relationships.

How do you prioritize self-care and mental well-being while juggling multiple responsibilities?

    Self-care and mental well-being are very important components for anyone who has big goals and dreams. To be effective, you need to be happy, feel accomplished, and feel refreshed. For me, without these, nothing else matters. My relationship with God is one of the biggest aspects of self-care. The Bible, a book full of hope and the best self-care manual, discusses how to deal with everyday challenges, anxiety, and depression, and what to do when you feel alone. The Bible has all the solutions; you just need to read it to find out.

Having a solid relationship with God is crucial because what will a man gain if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? What will a man gain if, after achieving everything, he is not happy and does not spend enough time with the people he loves? Self-care and mental well-being are significant parts of having balance in our lives because we are emotional creatures. Other ways to achieve this balance include exercising, reading, playing, and hanging out with friends. However, avoid engaging in activities that will cause long-term anxiety, like drinking, smoking, or risky sexual behavior, as these can take away your peace in the long term. The most crucial thing about balance in life is PEACE.

What role does mindfulness or meditation play in achieving and sustaining balance in your life?

Meditation, for me, is praying and spending time alone to reset and find peace in what I do. Mindfulness and meditation are crucial for maintaining balance; always give them a try!