Balance is the concept that gives us stability and control in everything we do. Likewise, maintaining balance ensures that you'll lead a happy and successful life. To help you better understand my perspective of balance, let me further clarify what I have made of the term. When it comes to applying indefinite balance to your life, I do not believe that a person should place "all their eggs in one basket", or practice too much of only one particular thing. Similar to Aristotle, who rejects the idea of exceeding or lacking the limits of virtue, I think exceeding or lacking the limits of balance demonstrates incompetence. The reason I say this is because incorporating 100% of your energy on one thing can and may prevent you from exploring other areas in life; in which you may have the potential to excel in.

However, I am not discouraging you from consistency. Being consistent is key to achieving a person's goals/dreams. I am merely stating that if your life lacks balance, you will stray from achieving true happiness and success. This concept applies to all aspects of your life; whether it be work, school, virtues, relationships, friendships, family matters, or so forth. All in all, keeping a balanced schedule in everything you do will help you achieve a happy and successful life. Hence, I will briefly highlight four instances of your life in which balance ought to be applied.

1. Work/School

Time: Many people, when enrolled at a new university, hired at a new job, or even those who manage both, are inclined to dedicating most, if not, all their time on that particular thing. It is completely understandable that the college life or that tax auditing position is demanding and therefore requires a lot of your time. However, it is also important to remember that your position at work/school is only one factor of your life. Though this may be the most significant part of life for most people, it is still important that you maintain balance. Balance should exist among the number of hours you work, what tasks are given at hand, and so forth. Similarly, going to school also consumes our energy and can be mentally draining. As a result, you should try to avoid spending too much time on either work or school and construct a schedule that satisfies both. For example, if you have two papers due this Sunday, but you normally work 9-5 during the week, plus overtime, you may consider minimizing the additional hours at work in order to make time for your paper. However, even with the time off work, you still need to balance the way you approach your school work. If both papers are equally challenging, you may want to set aside one off day for each paper. Or if you're approaching deadlines, you can set aside a couple of hours for both to be completed during the same day. However, if you've just completed a long shift, and you want to start your paper that same night, you may be too exhausted to focus completely. In that situation, you may start one part of your paper that night, and finish the rest after you've rested awhile. Similarly, you should not take too long to complete your papers; in such a way that will impact your performance at work. Ultimately, we should balance the way we approach our tasks at work and/or school, and not spend too much time on either.

Opportunity: Maintaining a balance is also good because if done right, you will have time to research/explore other opportunities that are outside your comfort zone. And life is all about experience, so the more you balance your time at work and/or academics, the closer you will become to achieving a happy life.

2. Home/Family

Keeping a balanced life is also important when it comes to family and life at home. To lead a successful, happy life, a person should make time for relatives, and family members at home. Perhaps this may be difficult if you are dorming, or forced to work away from home, but still manageable. Even a phone call to your mother, father, aunt, uncle, brother, niece, etc., is always a great way to keep in touch with life at home. And if you are fortunate enough to work near your family, try to dedicate a couple of hours a week to seeing them; or at least spend birthdays and holidays. Reconnecting with family is also good in the sense that you take a small break from the work life. This will help you recharge and feel better about yourself.

3. Relationships

Similar to family, keeping a balanced relationship with a partner or spouse is also significant. Though many corporations and fields discourage relationships and dating, because they perceive it as a distraction, I believe the complete opposite. Aside from working day and night, we have to remember that passions and emotions are aspects that humanize us; and thus, relationships/dating allow us to express that part of us thoroughly. Whether you are in a committed relationship, marriage, or partnership, connecting with other people is pivotal, and you should still try to explore that part of yourself.

4. Entertainment/Time alone

Balancing school/work, with personal and social life can be hard to juggle. However, having some entertainment and alone time is also a crucial factor of human life. Sometimes in order to get back on track with school and work, you need to distance yourself from this aspect of life for a while; in order to you reconnect with your inner self. Thus, it is essential that you to make time for the things that make you happy. Some examples of this are concerts, reading, yoga, meditation, working out, self dates and so forth. Spending time on your career and other people can be exhausting if you do not set aside time for yourself too.

Furthermore, maintaining balance helps us distribute time for everything that is important in our lives. By successfully acquiring balance, we would be capable of leading a happy and successful life. Remember, not all successful individuals are happy, as many of them tend to focus too much on work and less time on enjoying themselves, being with family, and much more.