FREE NEWSLETTER

Our Balancing Act

Jonathan Clements

WE MAKE CONSTANT tradeoffs as we allocate our time and money across our life’s many competing demands. What if we feel like all is not right in our world? We may be confronting the seven choices below—and favoring one option at the expense of the other, leaving us with what feels like an unbalanced life.

1. Between doing what we should and doing what we want. Here, I’m thinking about taking care of ourselves physically. We need to strike a balance between rest and exercise, between time asleep and time awake, and between eating what we want and eating what we should. I’m no expert on such things—but I sure know the feeling when I haven’t had enough sleep, or I’ve been eating the wrong things, or I’ve either been too active physically or too sedentary.

2. Between spending and saving. For most Americans, the problem is too much spending and not enough saving. What if you’re the exception—which many HumbleDollar readers seem to be—and find it hard to crack open your wallet?

I’m not inclined to chastise folks for spending too little, unless their lack of spending is leading to unnecessary misery. But I would encourage folks to think about how they’d ultimately like to use their money, whether it’s to pay for big financial goals, help family and friends, or support their favorite charities.

3. Between seeking returns and avoiding risk. This can also be framed as upside potential vs. downside protection or as getting rich vs. avoiding poverty. We all want both, but we also all favor different spots on the spectrum that stretches from super conservative to wildly aggressive. This reflects both our emotional risk tolerance and our objective capacity to take risk.

4. Between work and leisure. There’s much talk about work-life balance. For many harried workers, what’s needed may be more leisure.

But what about retirees? For those who find their days of endless relaxation less satisfying than they imagined, what may be needed is more work. No, it doesn’t need to be the paying kind, though I’m all in favor of earning a few bucks. Instead, the work could be projects around the house or volunteering in the community.

5. Between purpose and fun. There are two types of happiness: hedonic and eudaimonic. Hedonic happiness is a fun dinner out with friends. Eudaimonic happiness is the sense of satisfaction we get from devoting ourselves to our favorite hobby.

Eudaimonic happiness may seem somehow more worthy than hedonic happiness, but I don’t think we should make that sort of judgment. Instead, I think we should strive to strike a balance between the two.

6. Between friends and family. As with a lot of folks, family is a priority for me. I regularly call my mother and sister. I try to see my daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons regularly. Vacations often revolve around family members.

But I’ve heard folks say that we spend time with family out of a sense of obligation, but we see friends because we enjoy it. I’m not sure I agree—or maybe I don’t feel that’s true for my family—but I think it’s a notion worth pondering.

7. Between time alone and time with others. What’s the right balance between these two? We’d all offer different answers, depending on our personality. But whether we’re extroverts or introverts, I suspect we’ve all felt lonely at times—and we’ve all felt the need for time alone after being among a scrum of others.

Jonathan Clements is the founder and editor of HumbleDollar. Follow him on X @ClementsMoney and on Facebook, and check out his earlier articles.

Want to receive our weekly newsletter? Sign up now. How about our daily alert about the site's latest posts? Join the list.

Browse Articles

Subscribe
Notify of
7 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
K H
2 months ago

Thank you Jonathan for frankly sharing your sage perspectives in confronting mortality, along with being a source of sound financial counsel / perspective. Realize have both earned, and unearned privilege. Spent a career as a military public health physician, then as a civilian with two federal agencies. While that didn’t enable the wealth many not in uniform obtained, reflect with gratitude that also had fewer attractions of fleeting material goods dangled before me, and still was able to contribute regularly to others. Increasingly appreciate the wealth of friends, family, being able to engage in regular exercise, some volunteering, reading, and more.

DrLefty
2 months ago

As I count down toward retirement (9 months, 23 days!), I’m aware that I’ve always tended to over-schedule myself and that it’s possible/likely I’ll do the same in retirement.

I’m taking this summer and will take my winter quarter sabbatical from teaching to practice balance. On weekdays this summer, I’m doing some work but trying to limit it to 2-3 hours per day, usually in the morning when I’m freshest and most alert. The rest of the time, I exercise, nap, read for pleasure, peruse recipes and travel locations, cook…I feel like I’m trying to train myself for a reduced pace.

bbbobbins
2 months ago

Balance is indeed a nice aspiration but reality of the human condition is that they we always seek or are dragged to those things which take us out of balance. We’ll prevaricate on things we dislike e.g. home maintenance yet waste time on passing inconsequentials that we enjoy.

Avoiding extremes is probably the best I can aspire to rather than perfect balance. I like the things I like too much and am lazy on too much other stuff. I’m hoping that increased time in retirement will enable me to allocate more to “chores”.

David Lancaster
2 months ago

“but I sure know the feeling when …I’ve been eating the wrong things, or I’ve either been too active physically or too sedentary.”

I get very antsy if I’ve gone without exercising, or having eaten vegetables for several days such as while on vacation. Regarding the vegetables, when eating out too often I’ll say “I need some greens!”

Didn’t find that in Greece though. Oh the food, and the hikes along the water!

Last edited 2 months ago by David Lancaster
Jeff
2 months ago

Great thoughts! We should also embrace the fact that our balancing act’s fulcrum moves over time. Balances you mention shift as we move through different stages of life.

Edmund Marsh
2 months ago

I may be guilty of trying to find the perfect balance within these seven. More happiness may be found just trying to avoid the extremes.

luvtoride44afe9eb1e
2 months ago

Balancing act is a good way to describe these choices and feelings. As we reach this stage in our lives I.e. retirement the choices are significant and how we handle the shift in time and money spent does impact our happiness and sense of well-being.
I’ve seen some friends and relatives struggle with retirement due to not having a plan. I can’t say that I’ve found the perfect balance for all of these areas but it is sure nice to be able to make the choices and spend the time with family and friends and pursuing activities that bring happiness and satisfaction because we CAN.
I was so busy yesterday I forgot to sign up for my first NJ State college free Senior Citizen course to take at Montclair State. Hope I can still get into something that interests me today.

thanks for another great perspective, Jonathan.

Free Newsletter

SHARE