Why Peloton’s Robin Arzón Believes ‘Balance’ Is Actually a Myth

As her day job, Robin Arzón is the head instructor and VP of fitness at Peloton. At home, she’s mom to her one-year-old daughter, Athena. And in between all of that, she’s done everything from writing New York Times best-selling books, partnering with companies to design chic sunglasses, glam nurseries, and kickass jogging strollers, and tackling marathons and ultramarathons.

You might think Arzón juggles all these disparate passions and responsibilities by practicing that vague concept of “balance” that so many influencers and celebrities preach. But in reality, “balance” is not in Arzón’s vocabulary—and she’s proud of it.

“I think our current understanding of balance implies that in a 24-hour day or in a week, we’re going to give each area of our lives the same percentage of focus, attention, and effort,” Arzón tells SELF. “And that’s a harmful concept because there are going to be weeks or seasons where that’s simply not humanly possible.”

Instead, Arzón says, prioritization becomes key.

“I think prioritizing a short list that is in alignment with our values and our current purpose—which can evolve over time—is a healthier approach to what actually makes it into your calendar,” she says. And in fact, this actually makes a lot of sense. Being a multi-hyphenate doesn’t necessarily mean trying to do it all at once, but rather, identifying what needs to happen, when.

Here are Arzón’s top tips for prioritizing what matters, filtering out the noise, and honing in on your purpose.

1. Become aware of your flow states.

You know those occasions where you feel fully immersed in an activity and get wholly wrapped up in the task at hand? That’s called a flow state, or being “in the zone,” and it’s important to become aware of when those moments occur. That way, you can hone in on your biggest passions and the things that may deserve more of your attention and energy.

“Notice moments in your day when you lose track of time—in a good way, like not like the doom scrolling on social media—but when you’re really focused on a product, paper, spreadsheet, phone call, or creative endeavor,” Arzón says.

You might find yourself getting into these flow states when you’re doing things you may consider your hobby, rather than those that are parts of your job. And that’s okay, Arzón believes: “Oftentimes our hobbies, our passions, really start as a whisper and can turn into a roar with the right environment and intention.”

2. Create your own “power posse.”

If you’re not experiencing these moments of flow, but you want to tune into your passions—or possibly develop and hone some—Arzón is a big advocate for journaling, vision boarding, and even working with a life coach, if that’s accessible for you.

“I also like the idea of creating a power posse of folks in your circle who you respect,” she adds. “They might be people in different industries who can kind of give you little nudges. We know having accountability partners in the workout space is really effective, but I think that we can do it in business and relationships as well.”

3. Give all sides of your identity room to grow.

Yes, Arzón is a new mom, but she’s also an athlete, business person, wife, daughter, sister, and so much more. As a multifaceted human, she refuses to be pigeonholed, and encourages others to pick and choose which parts of their personas need to shine brighter at certain times.