Be choosy, it’s your life! As the new year begins you’ll probably be making a change or two intentionally. Here’s an easy technique or approach you can do to feel more satisfied and be effective in making changes to up level your life.
Keeping in mind that there are only 168 total hours in a week, 7 days, how you chose to spend your discretionary time is a big deal. So much of the time is spent sleeping, working, taking care of yourself and others, your home and responsibilities life entails, there isn’t much left over for you to fill from your heart’s desire, if any some days, some months, some years.
How much better could your life feel overall if the have-tos didn’t feel like burdens and therefore left you with more me time, free-time and needed energy to do something other than sit on the couch to recoup?
On a scale of 1 – 10, 1 being only a burden/no satisfaction from it and 10 being totally at choice/completely satisfied from it, rate how satisfied you are in each of these major life areas:
a. Relationship with spouse/partner or being single
b. Relationship with your extended family of origin
c. Parenting your family
d. Friendships/girlfriends
e. Career/work
f. Body Image
g. Health
h. Home environment
i. Spiritual or religious or contemplative activities
j. Emotions/moods
k. Creative endeavors/right brain activities
l. Lifestyle overall
m. Extras: hobbies, volunteering, travel, sports
n. Free time
o. Your day-to-day experience of life
Research from a variety of fields would support this statement – your relationships with significant people, your health, and having a spiritual connection of any kind are the areas most determinative of life satisfaction overall when people’s ratings are analysed. They will significantly affect the other areas listed. For example, when one’s health is poor, dealing with it supersedes all other desires on how would like to spend your time and energy. The other areas listed will also add to or subtract from your overall sense of life satisfaction. Changing their rating benefits you and in some cases can more amenable to quick changes.
Quick doesn’t mean it’s easy, but time is limited so doing what you can as soon as you can to up level your life satisfaction seems worthwhile, don’t you agree?
The technique: You’ll have to close your eyes for a few minutes, so find a place to do that first. Chose the area of concern, then imagine you are sitting on a fluffy cloud, and from that distance look down upon your house (without its roof on top) and your neighborhood. See your place of work and other places you frequently go to. Keeping this distant and big picture point of view, ask your mind what can you let go of gracefully for all concerned, now or very soon? What one adjustment can you make right now that will bring the rating score up? Aim for a 5. Let whatever comes to mind be, don’t judge it or resist it. Keep looking down from a distance to allow all that wants to come up, come to the forefront of your mind. You’ll know when you’re done.
Then open your eyes and immediately write down what you can do. if there’s more than one thing, write them in bullets points. Choose one and go do it. Yes, right away if possible. The good vibrations this will bring up in you will have a ripple effect and motivate you to adjust each area until it’s at least a 5, using this approach to guide your way.
Your right brain is powerful, use it more often and you’ll see. Meditation opens communication with your right brain. Check out my upcoming classes in Meditation for Mind Body Health and Lose Weight MAPPING .
Tell me what areas will be your focus in this first month of the new year in the comments below. Or ask a question and I’ll try to answer it for you.
Happy New Year and namaste,
Dr. Kim
Kimberly Wulfert, PhD, Licensed Psychologist & Coach in Ventura & Ojai California, virtually
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