Is There Such a Thing as Balance?

When I read the question, “How do you balance the various demands for your time and energy?” I chuckled. Balance is defined as a state of equilibrium where opposing forces or elements are equalized and in harmony. But the reality for a non-traditional student like myself is that life rarely feels harmonious. Get eight hours of sleep. Eat healthy. Manage stress and mental health. Go to the gym. Be productive at work. Attend and actively participate in class. Make money to fund flight training. Perform well in flight training. Contribute to family. Participate in student organizations. Get involved in internships. Build your resume. Oh, and all in twenty-four hours on a recurrent basis.

These are the different areas constantly demanding my time and energy. At the beginning of my educational career, I believed balance meant giving every area of my life equal attention all at once. I overscheduled my days and suffered burnout. Over time, I learned that for me, balance would not mean everything receives equal time and energy every day. Instead, balance means learning to prioritize. I schedule my days in order of importance. Some weeks, school demands more of me. Other weeks, work or family take priority. I have learned to give myself grace and allow room to pivot and adjust as needed and if I become overwhelmed, I know which areas I am willing to temporarily sacrifice and to what extent, but I do not sacrifice the things that keep me grounded.

For a long time, I put immense pressure on myself to excel in every area of my life. It is the guilt of gratitude often associated with the life of immigrant children, knowing that a hefty price was paid and sacrifices made for me to be here, I believed anything less than perfection meant failure. Eventually, I learned that mindset was doing more harm than good. Before I could expect balance externally, I had to create it internally. I remember a particularly difficult season when my schedule felt impossible. School was demanding, work responsibilities were growing, family obligations needed attention, and financially, pursuing flight training meant money flowing out faster than it was coming in. In an effort to create more time, I decided to stop going to the gym. I convinced myself I simply did not have time anymore. That decision was one of the biggest mistakes I could have made, but through that process, I learned that no matter how busy life gets, it is important to identify the things and people that pour back into you and those must become non-negotiable. In my attempt to keep everything else balanced and continue progressing in my education and career, I gave up the one thing that kept me mentally and emotionally grounded. Even though my schedule had more free time, my mood and energy suffered. My body may have been physically rested, but my mind never stopped racing because I no longer had an outlet. That experience taught me that balancing time and energy is not just about productivity. It is also about sustainability.

I have also learned the importance of communication and boundaries. At work, I have learned to communicate when I am at capacity instead of constantly taking on more tasks, and more importantly chasing the next promotion because for every prize there is a price, and it should never be at the cost of your health or mental wellbeing. In the classroom, I have learned to accept that there may be moments when I fall short. That does not equate failure. It simply means understanding that giving one hundred percent will look different day to day. Balancing time and energy sometimes means sacrificing pace. Progress is still progress, even if it happens slower than planned.

Balancing time and energy sometimes means sacrificing pace. Progress is still progress, even if it happens slower than planned."