A few months ago I decided that enough was enough. I was no longer going to allow myself to feel like a victim of the universe. Like the world was against me, like nothing ever went my way.
I spent weeks reading online articles and books on motivation, inspiration, empowerment, the power of affirmations, the law of attraction and I completed an online mediation course. I then simplified everything I had learnt and started putting it into practice. I started a little “self experiment”.
My goals going into my little self experiment were;
- To stop feeling like a victim of the universe
- To appreciate and be grateful for the life I have
- To live more in the moment and start enjoying the journey
- To reduce anxiety and stress, especially in situations I have no control over
A full two months down the track and I feel like a completely different person. I’m no longer constantly living in the future. Yes, I still have plans, goals and things I’m working towards but I’m no longer thinking “things will be better when”, or “I just can’t wait till…”. My stress levels have dropped and I have found myself laughing in situations that normally would have had me in tears in the bottom of the shower (my safe place). Not only have I been able to start working towards ticking off some of the aforementioned goals but I have also managed to competently eliminate tummy problems that have had me in and out of the doctors for over four years now.
Feeling so incredibly happy and proud of my efforts and results, I decided to share my little experiment with a couple of people close to me. Unbelievably, one of my little volunteer guinea pigs is having even better results than I have and I can’t believe the difference it’s had on her life.
So what did I do? Well today I’m going to share with you the first step. Over the coming weeks I am going to share with you absolutely everything I did and continue to do. So if you’re ready to make some positive changes in your life and inspire your own future, grab a pen and some paper and lets get started.
Part One
Life Balance Test
To be honest achieving a perfect balance in life is near impossible. So, by completing the Life Balance test, our end goal is not to have a “perfect” balance, but to find out what areas of our life might need more energy and attention. By spreading our energy and attention out a little more evenly you will find that the other areas in your life that tend to have a heavier focus become easier or more enjoyable.
How To Do Your Life Balance Test
Step One
Cut up or tear off strips of scrap paper, you’ll need at least 30 strips and grab a pen.
Step Two
Starting at Monday morning, on each piece of paper write down every action you complete throughout the day/week/month. For example;
Wake up and shower, apply make up and get dressed for work, drive 45 minutes to work, have breakfast at my desk, 8 hours of work, 45 minutes drive home, walk dog, prepare dinner, eat dinner in front of TV, 1-2 hours TV, bed.
Don’t forget to include anything you do weekly, bi weekly, monthly, occasionally etc, e.g. lunch with best friend once a fortnight, yoga every Thursday, visit Nanna once every two months.
Step Three
Now that you have written down everything that takes up your time and energy it’s time to separate them into their categories.
Career – Work, education, business, career development…
Family – Children, Mum, Dad, Cousins, Aunties, Uncles, Grandparents…
Relationship – Boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, husband, wife…
Fun – What do you do that makes you smile?
Self-Care – Time spent just for you. Massage? Manicure? Relaxing bath? Reading a book?
Health – Looking after yourself…
Friends – Those special people we choose to have in our lives…
Adult – Those everyday things we have to do because we reached a “certain” age. Showering, food shopping, bills, driving to work…
What To Do With Your Results
Now that you have all your actions divided into their categories I want you to take a good long look. Count how many items are in each pile. Are they fairly balanced? Or do you perhaps have some categories that have a lot more than others?
Putting our time and energy into each one of these categories is important. We need to work or earn an income. Without money we wouldn’t be able to pay bills, have a roof over our heads, put food on the table of pay for the other necessities in life. Let alone for the more fun things in life, travel, meeting a friend for brunch, family picnics, date night at the cinema, whatever it is that brings joy to your life.
However, as important as a job or career is, it’s just as important to put time and energy into the other areas of your life. Without spending time on yourself, your health, with your family, friends and loved ones, we slowly burn out.
If you’ve got some areas of your life that could do with some more attention, do something about it. Set yourself some new goals. Whether it’s scheduling more time with family, learning to spend more time on you, introducing one healthy meal a day or making one night a week a date night. Start creating more balance in your life.
What To Do With Some Of Those Adult Tasks
Now, for all of us, that Adult category can get pretty full and can sometimes feel like it’s weighing us down. There are a few little tricks you can do to make some of those pesky tasks feel a little less Adult and a little more like they belong in the Fun or Self-Care category.
Why not make your own coffee or sugar body scrub to leave in the shower to invigorate your morning routine before work. If you shower at night why not change one of your showers into a relaxing bath once a week? Pop on some music, light some candles and relax.
Whether your driving or using public transport for your commute to and from work why not inspire your day with a motivating audio book or podcast? There are so many different audio books and podcasts, learn a new language, listen to your favourite comedian or that new book you haven’t had time to read yet. Use the time to relax, inspire or educate yourself.
There are many ways to make your “Adult” tasks feel a little less burdensome. Be creative, think outside the box.
I hope you’ve gained a little more insight into the “balance” of your life. Remember, we’re not aiming to have a perfectly balanced life, we just want to make sure our time and energy is spread a little more evenly.
Don’t compare your life to anyone else’s. We are all on our own journey, each completely unique. Even if someone else appears to have their life more balanced than your’s, I can assure you they look at someone else’s and think the same thing. Focus on your balance, on your journey.
The next blog on our Inspired Life journey is all about creating effective and more personalised vision boards, that WORK. Stay in the loop by signing up for updates, simply pop in your email address and click follow on the right hand side of the page and don’t forget to share this with a friend who may need a little inspiration.
Peace, love & coconuts,
Amanda
amandawearn.wordpress.com 