Karen Rae, a single mother of two and cancer survivor, is bringing her pandemic business to life, the Balanced Life Planner®.
The Balanced Life Planner® is part organizational roadmap, part self-help book and centers around the 5 Fundamental Areas of Life - Faith, Family, Finances, Friendships and Fitness. The planner helps get users on track and shows them how to make small intentional progressions towards life goals to balance these key areas and live happier in as little as 5 minutes a day. I got to see a few sample pages from the planner, and I can definitely tell that it's thoughtfully laid out. I also like the emphasis on a balanced life - not just getting rid of things on the to-do list.
I had a chance to interview her to learn more.
Why did you create the Balanced Life Planner®?
COVID-19 led to Balanced Life by Karen Rae®. I’m a single mother of two young daughters, a homemaker, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and businesswoman who leads a very busy life. When life slowed down March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was a blessing in disguise to my family.
One night I couldn't sleep and as I lay awake I reflected upon my life and knew that once things returned to "normal" I didn't want "normal" to look anything like it looked prior to the pandemic. Moving forward I wanted to live my life more intentionally by prioritizing my days in a way that focused upon those things in life that matter the most - Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, and Friendships.
That very night I wrote a plan for regaining control of my life and when I was finished I thought, "Wow, I really need this and so do others!" This thought led to the creation of The Signature Balanced Life Planner® which walks individuals through how-to set their life goals and plan their days in a way that achieves balance in the 5 Fundamental Areas of Life.
The Balanced Life Planner® provides a roadmap that helps individuals regain control of their lives through achieving a proper life balance, plan for the future, and not only reach their life goals but accomplish so much more!
My desire is that the Balanced Life Planner® will help others, as much as it is helping me, on their journey to living a balanced life.
What sets it apart from other planners?
The Balanced Life Planner® is centered around the 5 Fundamental Areas of our lives which provokes the user to be more mindful of these specific areas; it walks individuals through how-to have a more balanced life approach and maintain a balanced lifestyle.
Secondly, when designing The Signature Balanced Life Planner®, we threw out conventional designs and created an undated weekly planning guide. What this unique design has done is two things. First, it allows anyone to start at any time. Second, is what we refer to as no-guilt - because the planner is undated, if you miss a week or two, you can pick it back up and start where you left off. There's no more paper waste and no barriers to finding that balance again.
Why is it so important for parents to focus on balance in their lives?
We are so incredibly busy, therefore we have to be intentional about planning our days in a way that promotes a healthy life balance. Our feelings of success, happiness, and fulfillment are tied to the 5 fundamental areas of our lives - Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, and Friendships. Each of these areas are all essential because, without one, we feel incomplete or even as if we have failed.
How do you find balance and create time for yourself?
It truly starts with planning my week ahead.
I write things down, which helps me to organize my thoughts and see what each day looks like. I then determine how I can do what needs to be done and still maintain balance in my life each day.
I have come to realize that I can't do everything myself; therefore I ask for help. Which may look like having my daughters prepare their own school lunches, having my Mom take my girls to school one morning, or a friend pick my girls up from school or one of their sport team practices, or a neighbor to take my trash out for me.
I am also intentional about carving out some "me time," which I do each morning before my girls start to stir because it sets the tone for my day.
It's also important to let some things go in order to focus upon things in life that matter the most, this isn't an easy thing for me to do, but it is necessary in order to have balance in my life.
Lastly, I'm learning to not compare myself to others, I focus on doing my personal best, within the boundaries that I've set for myself, and I forget the rest!!!
The Signature Balanced Life Planner® is a culmination of lessons and experiences I have gained over my lifetime and I want to use these to motivate others to live their lives to the fullest.
Now, more than ever, it is essential for everyone to focus on what matters most. I believe that by making little improvements each day, those using the planner will feel more confident and achieve their own personal version of success in their lives!
For just a few more days, get up to 40% off (through November 19th).
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