Balance

I used to have a manager who loved the metaphor of “spinning plates” when he was providing coaching feedback to me.

It was one of those lessons that stuck with me—not because it was about doing more, but because it was about balance.

Keep all the plates spinning. Not too fast, not too slow. Know which ones need attention and when. Understand that if you focus too much on one, the others start to wobble.

Years later, I still think about that lesson constantly.

I keep these stones on my desk, and every so often, I restack them. It’s become my way of reminding myself what balance actually requires: intentionality, focus, and the understanding that everything has its place.

Balance isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation of sustainable success.

It’s knowing where to focus your energy. It’s recognizing when something needs more attention—and when it’s okay to let something else slow down for a moment. It’s understanding your limits and working within them, not against them.

The leaders, teams, and businesses that last aren’t the ones moving fastest. They’re the ones who’ve figured out how to maintain equilibrium across competing priorities.