Activity Overview

Leaders have a difficult time “juggling” their many works, home, and community projects. This activity makes this dilemma definite and encourages reflection and rebalancing of the many priorities of a busy leader.

Objectives

• To encourage participants to reflect and talk discuss their actions in regards to “life balance.”
• To get every participant to participate, so the lesson will be memorable.
• To laugh together and enjoy the dilemma of the moment.

Training Methods

• Role Play
• Demonstration
• Group discussion
• Reflection
• Journal writing

Materials Needed

• A huge exercise ball, labeled “work”
• A basketball, labeled “family”
• A medium-sized ball (smaller than a basketball), labeled “health and exercise”
• A tennis ball, labeled “friends”
• A golf ball, labeled “volunteer activities”
• A number of bath beads
• A length of string or yarn to place on the ball

Equipment Needed

• Assorted colored pens, pencils or markers
• Flipcharts or a stack of blank paper

Pristine leaders sometimes work so hard to prove their competency resulting in placing their lives out of balance. They leave themselves with little time or energy to do the nonprofessional activities that are of utmost importance to them. This activity is brief, but valuable, because it visually reminds participants of the need for balance in their work and personal lives. It works best with two facilitators but can be adapted for one.

Advance Preparation

If there is no second facilitator available, Set up a circle of yarn on the floor, approximately the size of the largest ball. Put all the balls in a basket except the largest one.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Ask both facilitators (or substitute with one volunteer) to stand by the circle of yarn. Facilitator 1 holds the largest ball.
   Facilitator 2 holds the other balls.
   Facilitator 2 asks Facilitator 1: “With your career totally absorbing you, how can you integrate it with the other facets of your life that I know must also bring you joy and fulfillment?”
   Facilitator 1 replies, “If the large ball is work, it is impossible.”
2. Invite one person to come up and stand in the circle of yarn.
   – Announce that he or she is standing in his or her “circle of life”.
   – Pass the biggest ball to this volunteer asking how it feels.
   – Now give her or him the second ball identifying it as the “family” ball, asking if he or she can manage to hold both at once.
   – Add the third ball identifying it as the “health and exercise ball”
   – Next add the fourth ball identifying it as the “friends” ball
   – Add the fifth ball as well identifying it as the “volunteer activities” ball. The volunteer starts to get creative about the ways that the balls can be held.

   Explain, “When we are totally overwhelmed by all of the facets of our lives, we are sometimes told to take more baths. Now I ask you, is this balance? Is having a little time for you the solution?” The facilitator tries to put the bath beads into the volunteer’s hands. (They should fall and tumble about.) Allow time for laughter and random comments. Explain that most new leaders face this dilemma at some time or another—sometimes the first day or week on the job!

3. One facilitator says, “Let’s look at what balance really means because it is different for each of us.” Ask the volunteer to set the balls down in the circle of yarn on the floor. Say, “Please reflect on how your life is balanced now. Take these different parts of your life—all the balls in front of you—and put them into your life.”
4. Introduce the concept of the circle of life by passing out a piece of paper to each participant and giving the following directions: “On the blank sheet of paper, draw your life as it is now. For example, draw circles that each represent work, family, recreation, sleep, religious activities, community, and so on. Create circles that are unique to your life.” (Make them the size that best represents your reality.)
5. Initiate a discussion with this question: What is a balance, and what is juggling?
   – Possible answers: Juggling is when there are more balls than time or energy available. Something has to be dropped. Balance is when you feel comfortable with the number of shifting priorities. When you occasionally see that you are out of balance, you know you need to take time to relax, refill and rebalance your life. Ask participants to draw new circles of life, but this time size them according to how they would like to balance their lives. When they are done, ask for volunteers to compare and contrast their two sets of circles.
6. To demonstrate how this illustration applies to their own situations, explain: “One way to assess how you will find balance is to tie the way you spend your time to your life goals, both personal and professional. I’m giving you two questions to write down.” Then say or write the following:
   – What are your three top goals?
   – Write them on your second chart as a “reflective” bubble.
   – What changes, if any, do you need to make in your time allotments to achieve your goals? (Allow some time for this.)
7. Put this quotation on the flipchart: You can have it all; you just may not be able to have it all at the same time. 
8. Conclude the activity by bringing the group outside to toss a few balls around and enjoy a healthy snack. Close on a high note.

Activity Review

Take time shortly after conducting this activity to reflect on how it went, how engaged the participants were, and what questions they raised. Then, make notes that include how much time you actually spent on the activity.