How balanced are you?

ARIE (in Jamaican means Very Good).  This sentiment is expressed with big smiles and shouts of joy.  “ARIE mon”!  When was the last time that you shouted out how fabulous you felt?

For many of us, summer is the season when we get to put some of our work expectations on pause.  We head out into the sunshine and renew our spirit, but how do we keep that ARIE spirit around us for the balance of the year!   As summer draws to a close, and many of us begin prepping for another busy fall season, I thought I would invite you to get a little bit

Artistic,

Review the summer months in terms of what you were focusing on; and note the

Inspirational (or Incredible moments) that occurred.  Finally,

Evaluate the places in your life where more focus might be useful or even needed as you move into the fall season.

In Jamaica, they say there are not PROBLEMS only SITUATIONS.  I love that conept.  After all, do you know anyone who keeps it all together, all the time, effortlessly? Neither do I. But a balanced life isn’t about being unflappable or escaping reality. It’s about riding out the changes and stresses we all face from time to time. It’s about choices, priorities, perspective, and letting go.  A Balanced life is a happy life.  Live your life doing what is important, not urgent.

Here is an easy way to get a bird’s eye view on how balanced your life is.

  1. On a blank sheet of paper, draw a circle
  2. Divide the circle into 4 equal quarters.
  3. Label the quarters: Work; Relationships; Health/Fitness; Spirit/Mindfulness
  4. Consider the last 90 days:   Put into each quadrant, the corresponding milestones or moments that occurred in each category over the time period
  5. Step back and evaluate – Are there any quadrants that appear substantially lighter or more heavily weighted than others?
  6. Take a moment to celebrate what you have achieved
  7. Plan the next 90 days

I like to break my goals for a year into 90 day chunks, so here is my summer chunk at a glance – just a sampling for illustration and not an extensive list….:

summer-life-balance_001
It is not possible to be in perfect balance all the time, but striving to put some focus into each category can help you feel more fulfilled and in control of your own life and dreams.   For me, in the next 90 days… more emphasis is needed in the Health and Fitness category.  Not to the exclusion of the others but to remind me to create strategic balance opportunities that keep my energy level up and my ARIE spirit shouting from the rooftops!
How did you do?  Ready to plan out your next 90 days?  ARIE mon.