1. Identify
1.1 Fulfilling All Areas of Life
Fulfilling and balancing all areas of life is the challenge of a lifetime.
Each area of life needs constant work, and it’s up to you to know when and how.
The beauty yet problem with modern life is that there are many distractions, billions of things to think, say and do. We can easily avoid the basics, going down a rabbit hole of the unnecessary, neglecting the most important aspects of life.
During the process of self improvement, you'll face tough decisions; ie. what stays and what goes? First ask yourself, does it make me feel good or bad? What is good vs. bad? If something makes you feel bad or uncomfortable its time to evaluate that part of your life and figure out whether it’s something you want to keep and work on, or completely purify from your life. Then ask yourself, does this contribute to or hinder the balance of my life?
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY
(REINTERPRETED)
You may be familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy, a pyramid that dissects the basic areas of life. Generally it is said you must master the bottom tiers, before mastering the latter, eventually ending with realizing your full potential and recognizing who you truly are. However once you move through the pyramid with a clear idea of how you specifically bring balance to each tier, you'll realize there is no end, it is a continuous cycle, with variables constantly changing.
Most likely when you start your journey you’ll wonder, where do I start? Start with finding yourself the best food, the purest water, the cleanest air, and the most comfortable shelter. If you have a cracked foundation it could hinder the other areas of life.
If you have gone through the entire hierarchy, go back over all the tiers and make sure everything is aligned with your goals, values, and priorities.
Read more about Maslow’s Hierarchy to have a better understanding… Simply Psychology | Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
1.2 I AM
What you think, say and focus on becomes your reality. If you focus on all the negatives you will only see a dark hollow pit of negatives. If you focus only on positives you become blissfully ignorant to other perspectives. If you shift your perspective to see all things, you truly capture the beauty of both light and darkness.
1.2 Values
Your decisions should always take into account what you love and value. If a decision does not align with your values, you could end up feeling like something just isn't quite right.
What is most important to me?
1.4 Priorities
Like values, decisions and order of events should reflect your priorities. When your priorities are out of alignment, you may feel like your life just isn't quite right.
1.5 Skills
Skills and hobbies make up a big part of your life, they determine what you can do and what you can't do. If you experience limitations, building your skills can help you relieve those limitations. The more skills you have the more free you will be. Not to mention you'll feel pretty awesome when you get to show off your skills.
If you ever find yourself saying or thinking "I'm bored", be productive and build your skills!
Need Inspiration? visit skillsyouneed.com
1.6 Goals
Goals are highly personal, they take time and effort, and require motivation and determination. Make sure your goals align with your lifestyle; ie. your values, priorities .
You want to make attainable goals, so you can feel a sense of achievement. Don't underestimate the power of little achievements to boost your esteem. Fulfilling all areas of life requires small steps everyday. When you reflect back on all the little things you accomplished over a certain time period, you realize it made one big difference.
When passion, values, and priorities intertwine with goals, it will feel just right. Don't feel bad if you've accidentally chosen a goal you realized you didn't truly want, it happens, start again.
Look for inspiration and continually use it as a source of motivation.
If you're mind is overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on breath and let go of thoughts. Ask yourself some of these questions durning meditation for an even clearer picture. The right answer will come to you when you're ready to receive.
- What are my top personal goals?
- What do I hope to achieve
- What do I want the outcome to be?
- What skills do I want to acquire?
- What area of life do I want to fulfill?
Resources
- MindTools.com - Within the "Time Management" section scroll down to "Goal Setting" under "Browse Tools By Category"
Get A to Do App!
Add specific to-dos and sub tasks for your goals, organize in folders, add to your personal calendar along with many other features.
Add Goals
Start with your top 3 goals.
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Long Term Goals
1.7 Habits
Habit:
1. a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.
Ask yourself…
- What frequent habits are causing me problems or pushing me away from my goals?
- What habits are serving me well and pushing me towards my goals?
- How do I start my day?
- Do I rush too much?
- What reoccurring/habitual thoughts, words and actions make up my life?
- Do other people influence my routine?
- Do I habitually focus on one area of life more than others?
- Am I disciplined, can I avoid certain things I know make me uncomfortable when urged?
As you create your habits, ask yourself some or all of these questions to get a better idea of what and why you do what you do.
Dissect Habits
You must trust that you know your body better than anyone else. Your body communicates with you and it's up to you to learn it's language.
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Resources
Psyche Journal
Write in your journal to get a better idea of your current routine. It may take time to gather information but it will be worth it to know all the details of why you do what you do.