I’m not a huge believer in astrology, but as we kick off my birthday month (October 14, gifts welcome!), I have to admit, I’ve always felt my astrological sign, the Libra, was a good reflection of me. Libras, represented by the scales, are all about balance. And the concept of balance is certainly a defining element of my personality – I’m always looking to weigh both sides of any argument, I often try to balance varying viewpoints before making a decision, and I tend to take a very diplomatic role on any team I work in. Similarly, I’ve long sought to achieve balance in my life – balancing work, parenting, socializing and personal care is an age-old struggle familiar to countless women (and men!) around the world. But I recently came to the conclusion that I should abandon my fruitless quest for balance and instead seek out something no less important but a lot more achievable – FULFILLMENT.

At Brilliant Ink’s recent annual team offsite meeting, we spent some time reviewing and reflecting on our company’s core values, and have decided to re-launch our values in a way that aligns with what we’re all trying to achieve, both personally and professionally. One common theme that we all expressed was important was doing work that felt personally meaningful, but that also provided us a stable financial income and allowed us the freedom to live fulfilling lives outside of work. Sound like a tall order? Well, I’m proud to work for a company that’s allowed me to have all of those things. Of course, every day is not a picnic and there are often long hours, but after putting in long hours, I also know I can count on taking a morning off to attend one of my kids’ activities at school, or leave work a little early to take a spin class. And perhaps most importantly, I’m doing work that’s personally fulfilling because I love the people I work with, and I know we’re providing meaningful solutions to the clients we support. That’s why one of Brilliant Ink’s new core values is FULFILLMENT.

Let’s face it – with all the various balls we have to juggle in our lives, we’re never going to achieve perfect balance – at different times, our priorities shift and unexpected changes demand our attention. If we look for fulfillment instead – looking to create a life where we can feel fulfilled instead of perfectly balanced – we’re much more likely to be at peace with our choices and stop chasing an unattainable dream.