“Balance Isn’t a Destination—It’s a Daily Decision”
It’s 5:47 a.m. as I type this. The coffee just finished brewing, the house is quiet (for now), and I’ve carved out exactly 23 minutes before the morning chaos begins. In those 23 minutes, I could unload the dishwasher, scroll social media, or answer emails. But instead, I chose this moment—for me.
Let me back up. I’m a transitional life coach, a full-time working mom, wife, and South Florida resident. I have five kids – we have a blended family, sort of like the Brady Bunch, minus one—two who live at the hockey rink, two who live at the baseball field and one perfect four year old princess who runs the show. I’m usually either packing snacks, chauffeuring kids, being a referee, defrosting chicken (just kidding, I’m actually not allowed to cook anymore, but that’s for another time) or explaining for the millionth time why dirty socks don’t belong on the living room floor.
But here's the thing: I love this life. I love my husband—we’re partners in every sense of the word. I love our loud, messy, exhausting home. And I love my work helping other women find purpose and joy. But none of that means balance comes naturally.
Truth is, I used to think “balance” was this magical point where everything clicked into place—the clean house, thriving kids, career wins, yoga three times a week, date nights, and perfectly portioned meal prep. Spoiler alert: that point doesn’t exist. What does exist is choice.
Every day, I make tiny decisions to show up for myself. Some days, it’s waking up a bit earlier to sip coffee before the day swallows me whole. Other days, it’s asking my husband to take on chauffeuring duty so I can go to my happy place to meditate in my backyard. Sometimes it’s 10 minutes locked in my closet breathing, because that’s all I’ve got.
Balance isn’t doing it all. It’s knowing what matters today—and releasing the rest.
I also believe in modeling this for my kids. I want my daughter to see that taking care of herself doesn’t make her selfish—it makes her strong. I want my boys to see that emotional health and stillness are just as important as game stats and grit. And I want me to remember that even coaches need coaches, even helpers need rest.
So if you’re like me—trying to juggle family, work, marriage, and your sanity—I want to remind you that balance isn’t a fixed formula. It’s fluid. Some days, you’ll nail it. Other days, you’ll eat Goldfish crackers for dinner and call that a win. Both are okay.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be present—with yourself, your people, and your purpose.
With you on the journey,
Crystal Gargiulo
Mom. Coach. Teammate. Human.