Balancing My Wants

Did you enjoy your experience of “mind wandering”? It can be a lot of fun. You see, by taking time to let your mind wander, unfettered by the “have-to’s” of the day, you are engaging in a little mental relaxation that should leave you refreshed.

Today, let’s do a little organization of those “wants” you discovered yesterday. One of the tools that is easy to use is what we call a “balance wheel.” We’ve talked about this before. Draw a circle, and then divide the circle into six or eight segments, so that you have what looks like pieces of a pie. Then, label each section with an area of your life that is important to you.

These sections might be labeled Family, Leisure Activities, Spiritual Growth, Finances, Job or Career – anything that is important and relevant to you. Now, each of these sections can have a Balance Wheel of its own, as you delve deeper into the different aspects of what you want in each area.

(Another thing you can do with your balance wheel is start from the center, with the number 1, and run a gauge out to 10 at the outer circle. With each section, you decide how satisfied you are with that particular area of your life, on a scale of 1 to 10. This will give you a good idea of what areas of life you might want to work on, in order to have a well-balanced life.)

As you begin organizing your “wants” into these categories or segments, you will probably find that many fit into the same segment. This is where you can use the tool of a secondary, or “mini,” balance wheel, for each section. Your “mini” wheels may not have as many sections, or they may have more. There are no rules here, so let your mind get creative!

You are doing some terrific preparatory work here! When we come back tomorrow, we’ll take a look at creating balance in your approach to your goals. Remember, have fun with this process!