What Does Your Life Look Like?
What shape does your life take on?
It can be hard to see the bigger picture when we feel stuck, or out of balance. It can be hard to know what direction to start in. This is exactly how I was feeling when I started my Integrative Nutrition Health Coach education. The very first activity we were given changed my world! It showed me how to look at life as an entire whole made up of parts that ebb and flow. It gave me the visual I needed to understand why I felt out of balance.
It was so helpful to me that I want to share it with you, the reader, in hopes that it may somehow give you a new perspective. So grab a piece of paper, a pen or pencil and come on back to try an exciting activity!
Ready? Okay. First draw a circle as large as your piece of paper will allow for. Next, draw a line down the middle of your circle, then draw a line across the middle. Your circle will now have four parts. Draw two more lines, centering them in middle of your quadrants so it now looks like you have a pie with 8 slices.
Along each line write one of the eight words, in any order you like. It doesn't have to be in any specific order. Just make sure you have used each word. Use only the word, not the definition in parentheses
1) Relationships (all relationships in general; inside and outside your immediate circle).
2) Career (what you are doing for work currently).
3) Finances (be honest with yourself).
4) Spirituality (do you have a belief system, do you uphold it, are you consistent).
5) Health (overall health).
6) Energy Level (are you physically activity, do you feel exhausted all the time, etc).
7) Living environment (home life, organization, ability to manage your environment).
8) Pleasurable Experiences (do you experience joy/fun/satisfaction).
Here comes the fun part! Make a dot in the center of the circle where all the slices meet. The center dot indicates dissatisfaction and the periphery of the circle indicates complete satisfaction. Place a dot on the line in each category to indicate your level of satisfaction within each area. (Most people fall somewhere in between). Connect the dots to see how your life takes shape.
Identify the imbalances. Determine where to spend more time and energy to create more of balance circle.
This is a fun way to see how your life takes shape. What are the areas that are in balance? What are the areas that need more attention? It is natural to be a little out of shape, after all, nobody is perfect. When we focus on one or two areas, other areas may change in how you feel about them. That is the natural ebb and flow of life. The idea is to try and have a more rounded, or balanced, circle of life.
Try this activity every so often, perhaps every 6 months or yearly, if that works better for you. Watch as your life takes on different shapes.
I hope you enjoy and feel free to share what this exercise was like for you!
