I don’t do new year’s resolutions since they’re usually a flop by early in the new year. Instead, I pick a theme that will inform my thinking and behaviour (hopefully in positive ways) for the year.

I’ve been thinking a lot about balance over the past few months. And as we start a new year it seems appropriate to adopt balance as my theme for 2014.

Perhaps this is inspired by focusing on balance during the recovery from a nasty ankle sprain in late 2012? Or perhaps it is all the discussion, that still continues, of work-life balance?

The notion of work-life balance has always been problematic for me.  This is mainly because it puts work before life, and also because I don’t seem to be able to find a way to do it. Many interpretations of work-life balance seem to assume equal time for each. And this seems like an impossible task.

While rehabilitating my ankle it became clear that balance is not necessarily standing still,  perfectly balanced like in the yoga tree pose (or vriksasana). But rather balance consists of making constant adjustments, some very tiny and others large, to maintain that balance.

Of course, the initial step is working out what balance looks and feels like.

This is year is going to be the time for identifying what adjustments need to be made for balance in my life. To make space for living a meaningful and productive life with good relationships and space to enjoy the world.

It seems that to achieve those goals the first thing that needs to go is anxiety, and the second thing that needs to go is the phrase “I have to”.

I suspect that other words and unconscious thought-patterns that currently shape my thinking and behaviour will also have to go. It will be interesting to work out what they are.