MCCC Blog |
Click Here to submit an article for our blog.
Note: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.
|
MCCC Blog |
Note: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.
|
Over the past decade, I’ve observed public speakers and self-professed gurus declare the impossibility of balance. They argue it doesn't exist, often while rolling their eyes, a telltale sign of their own battles with imbalance. These aren't just observations; they reflect a pervasive problem: burnout and its crippling effects.
There were moments when I too doubted the existence of balance, especially when life seemed determined to throw me off kilter. These challenges, however, only deepened my understanding of what balance should mean, leading me to develop a new definition—a definition born not only out of necessity but out of a relentless pursuit of a sustainable and healthy high-performance lifestyle. What Is Balance, Really? Contrary to popular belief, balance is not about maintaining an equal footing in every area of life at all times. Such an idea is not only impractical but fundamentally flawed. Real balance is dynamic, not static and it starts with maintaining energy equilibrium—a crucial state where your energy input matches or exceeds your output, ensuring that you neither overextend nor sell yourself short. In my role as a Performance Lifestyle Coach—a concept I helped pioneer after discovering the idea in the world of elite athletics—I've come to see balance as a system of support. It's about having the right resources, whether nutritional, physical, financial, or emotional… to keep fluid forward movement without breaking down. If we want to function and perform optimally—free from the distractions of lifestyle-induced diseases including burnout—we must adopt a holistic approach to life. It's not enough to operate from the neck up in a non-stop pursuit of success; we need a performance lifestyle that actively works for us, not against us, at least 80-90% of the time or more. This requires a deep understanding of the fundamentals of human performance and how to translate those principles into a lifestyle that supports our overall success and well-being. The Chain Link of Lifestyle Skills Imagine life as a bicycle chain, where each link represents a different lifestyle skill. Just as a bike chain requires each link to be strong and intact to propel the bike steadily forward, our lives require robust lifestyle skills such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, and constructive thinking… However, it doesn’t stop there. There’s a “balance” of essential lifestyle skills that contribute and enable you to live a balanced life, skills that we often overlook until we find ourselves faltering. For instance, consider the immense impact of cultivating a spiritually driven life each morning to achieve the right balance between staying grounded and being overwhelmed by chronic feelings and emotions that stem from the ongoing narrative of our lives, even if things are going great! This element of balance might even surpass the significance of maintaining energy equilibrium, which is a bold statement! Living a life centered primarily on psychology can be extremely challenging. The reason why you need to understand all these essential skills is that when one aspect of your life throws you out of balance, another will help you restore it. Living in Balance To truly live in balance, one must understand and implement a full set of lifestyle skills with the right intensity and consistency. We need to know what to do, why to do it, how to do it, and when—at the right level of intensity and frequency—to experience the results, we want. This understanding allows us to achieve our goals without sacrificing our health and ultimately our well-being. The harsh reality is that many of us are living out of balance, lacking several essential lifestyle skills. This deficiency leads us to make unhealthy attempts to sustain the high performance that today's world demands. Often, this results in downward spirals that occur without our even realizing it, underscoring the urgent need for this new definition of balance. A Lifelong Process. At 55, with a young daughter and son to inspire me daily, I am more committed than ever to the practice of a balanced lifestyle. It’s not only exciting to dive deep into new lifestyle skills that give me knew capabilities and expand my capacities, but it has also lead to a wholly better quality of life, that just keeps getting better. For example, when I launched the Regenus Center, I wanted to go deep on energy recovery—or what we’re now calling revitalizing. If you want to manage your energy, you must have the energy to manage, and I, like you, need a lot of it to keep up with the demands of the life I live. It’s not just about living to an old age; it’s about living well, regardless of how long one lives. I was once asked how much better one can live, and my answer, without even thinking was, “how high is high?” For those eager to embrace a performance lifestyle, that full supports them and what they are to in the world, I invite you to join me at PerformanceLifestyle.com, where I share Daily Insights that are transformative, inspiring, and practical, and will help you give rise to a balanced and healthy high-performance lifestyle you can call your own. Together, we can redefine balance and transform it from a myth into a tangible, achievable reality. John Allen Mollenhauer “JAM,” offers a persuasive reinterpretation of "balance" in life, tailored for those immersed in high-stress, demanding environments. He challenges the prevalent dismissal of balance by individuals who have struggled with it themselves, proposing a refined definition that emphasizes effective management and maintenance of energy levels. As a self-described performance lifestyle coach, Mollenhauer expands the notion of balance beyond the traditional work-life split to encompass a holistic approach that includes various support systems—regenerational, nutritional, physical, and psychological and financial… He contends that deficiencies in these areas often precipitate imbalances that can stall our progress. Central to his philosophy is the idea that balance does not mean achieving perfection across all life domains simultaneously. Instead, it involves maintaining an energy equilibrium that underpins your life strategy. This equilibrium allows for adjustments and prioritizes different aspects of your lifestyle as needed, all while maintaining overall health and performance with an eye on well-being. Comments are closed.
|
Archives
January 2025
Categories
All
Please Note: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.
|
The Power of Connection! Your membership connects you to valuable resources, opportunities for business growth and rewarding relationships with fellow members. And you don't need to be based in Morris County to belong!
Our Business Hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. If you plan to stop by, it's best to make an appointment to ensure that someone will be available for you. Staff is often out of the office hosting events or meeting with members.
|
The Morris County Economic Development Alliance (The Alliance) is an affiliated 501c3 Nonprofit of the Morris County Chamber and includes the Morris County Tourism Bureau, the Morris County Economic Development Corporation and the Connect To Morris job board.
|