Finding Balance...Finding Happiness

A while ago, a met a very interesting man. He is a respected leader in his field, well spoken, attractive and a hopeless workaholic. He is someone with whom I could have seen myself having a relationship. We have much in common philosophically, similar tastes, goals and values...but...there's always one of those isn't there...he felt our  "life clocks" were terribly  misaligned.  A more accurate portrayal might have been that our attitudes about what constitutes a balanced life were terribly misaligned. I am not suggesting that my ideas are correct and his were "wrong", on the contrary! I am suggesting that what makes a satisfying relationship is the understanding of  each other's life balance needs.

I found an interesting device on the website www.mindtools.com. The Life Wheel is a visual tool to help you assess eight basic areas of your life and see where you may need to make adjustments to bring your life back into balance. 

Download the worksheet here: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/worksheets/WheelofLifeDownload.htm

They suggest that you start by brainstorming the six to eight dimensions of your life that are important to you, roles you play, like spouse or coworker, or areas of life that are important to you, perhaps family, career or recreation. Then, consider each dimension and on a scale of zero to five, write down the amount of attention you're devoting to that area of your life. Mark each score on the appropriate spoke of your Life Wheel, then draw a line connecting the marks. What you will see is a visual representation of where there are gaps. Compare this with what you see as your ideal life balance. 

Besides being a tool for self analysis it can also be used to compare your priorities with your partner to determine the areas where you can help each other achieve balance...and if you happen to be searching for a life partner, the Life Wheel is an ideal and nonthreatening way to begin a conversation about what constitutes a balanced life. Sharing values and beliefs may not be a basis for a potential relationship if your priorities are misaligned.

It's not rocket science, but it is a first step to recognizing where you may wish to realign your priorities, the challenge then becomes finding ways to make adjustments.  It will require some work, but the reward will be to achieve the balanced and happy life you deserve!