I have been asked a lot these past few months, “How are you managing to do it all?” An interesting, and at first, daunting question to ponder. “It all” includes all of the responsibilities that go into coaching the UCLA Gymnastics team along with all of the media attention and requests that are a result of being the reigning NCAA Champions, Katelyn Ohashi’s floor routine going viral (again), and this being my last year coaching.

I’ve noticed that when I feel overwhelmed and stressed about it all, I take a deep breath and think through all that it entails. Inevitably, I realize that it’s all just so much fun. As soon as I shift the way I think of it all from, “Oh my gosh, there’s so much on my plate” to “Oh my gosh, it’s all so much fun” … I literally feel the external pressure release and a calm enthusiastic glow grow within. For me, it’s much more about striving for harmony than balance.

Many of us strive for life balance. Balance is when the relief on one end evens out the pressure on the other. This happens when you’re able to juggle the weight of family, friends, work, hobbies, and so on. For me, achieving life balance requires consistent mental check-ins to measure the various activities going on in my life.

In contrast, the concept of Harmony is the feeling I get as a result of being whole.

Harmony isn’t about having symmetry in life as much as it’s about finding the satisfying flow that is achieved when challenges are met with confidence resulting in fulfillment and joy. Harmony releases me from the little things that weigh me down when I’m trying to find balance.

I’m not saying life balance isn’t good. There’s comfort in living a balanced life. Everything has its place, and the routine of what you want and where you’re going offers security and predictability. Living a life in harmony feels more like being able to handle and embrace every ounce of opportunity each day brings. Embracing a harmonic life allows me to deal with the ups and downs, highs and lows, requests and demands without tipping the scales off balance.