Here at the FIX we learn how to evaluate our lives. We keep a monthly summary of what we're doing, what our plans are and how we're doing on any given day. The FIX allows us to see and create balance in our lives. It takes some work because we ask that you evaluate your life and then jump into FIXing the areas that need some attention.

For inquiring minds... The FIX doesn't stand for anything specific, just that we are FIXing our lives by bringing them into balance.

To evaluate our lives, we start by using what we call our wheely thing or charty thing, or some assemblance of those words.

· Draw a circle, slice the circle into pie segments, each section represents each element of your life. Most of us have about 12-15 sections. (Your sections may be fewer, and defined as you choose!)

For example:

Career
Health
Spiritual
Environment
Education
Fun/Leisure
Finances
Family
Friends
Significant Other
Pets
Children
Becoming Me
Big Goals
Hobbies
Community
Time Management

· Take some time and define what it means to be 'successful' for YOU in each area/section you've chosen. That helps to make a better & more concrete evaluation of what your life really looks like.

For Example: success in one person's health area might look like: "I cook balanced meals including lots of fresh veggies, drink lots of water, take my supplements, exercise and relax. I'm not overweight and enjoy outdoor adventures." For someone in the midst of a hightened medical situation, success in the health area probably will look radically different.

· Then on a scale of 1 to 10 or high-medium-low or great-good-ok-bad-awful, determine and chart how satisfied you are with each area and how close are you to what you think is 'ideal' for you. (You get to choose whether 10 is best or worst!)

· On your circle, the number or term you determine is bad, is in the center - the good number is on the outside. You might want to show the numbers in between as well. For evaluating, the better an area of your life is, the closer you make it to the outside of the chart. And the worse a section of your life is, the closer it is to the center. The purpose is that when your chart is finished, you can see where you have a 'flat tire' in life i.e. where the chart dips into the middle.

· To actually chart each area, put a dot at the good or bad level you've determined for each section. Then draw an arc from one inside edge of each slice, up to the dot, then back down to the other outside edge of the slice. You might want to color the arc just to keep things interesting.

When you get the chart complete, it is a picture of where your life is and how its working. From there you can set goals to make things better in the areas where you aren't doing so well. And continue to maintain the areas that are doing pretty good.

Good planning will make this year so much more enjoyable. So good luck, I can't wait to see where we all go from here!

Jazzlady: Welcome back! It's great to hear from you, again.

Dianaro: Welcome back! I love your comment about being a young grandma! Age is just a number, it's the attitude that brings the quality.

Hello Other Fellow Fixers!

So how is April treating you.

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HEALTH: I was very sick on Saturday late into Sunday. I had to get my act together to pick up DH from the airport.

ENVIRONMENT: Was picked up and ready to go, until I got sick. DS helped with DD and she was on turbo making messes from one area to another.

Overall the weekend was okay. I'm preparing myself for this week and next.

CHILDREN: This is DS's busy day. Tomorrow he has an All City Band Performance. Friday he earned a special field trip, he is really excited about that.

DD still resisting sleep at nap and at bed. Daycare provider and DH and I agree that she NEEDS the nap. Afternoons are not pleasant for anyone. Plus she gets so tired that she can't fall asleep until later at night. Plans are in place for more physical outside activity. We're all remaining consistent about bedtime routines with relaxing (bath and massage)activities concluding with reading stories and rocking. Some rewards are in place for her daycare. I'll provide some ice cream cups with fresh strawberries as a treat. We'll think of other rewards, if needed.

Post when you can.

Striving: So sorry to hear that you were sick over the weekend. Hope you are recovering nicely. Take care of yourself.

Diana: Thanks for the kind words. I wasn't actually washing any walls - but Striving knows that I have a tendency to wash walls, etc., when I am procrastinating on other things.

Focus: Time Management/15 mins. a day -

On Friday, I spent a lot more than 15 mins., and worked on 2 projects!

Project 1: I finally got hold of a handyman (recommended by a friend) to come out and take a look at a couple of postponed/neglected projects and give me an estimate. He will work on the most urgent one this weekend!

Project 2: I sorted through and organized the pile of papers and started on my taxes!

On Saturday, I again spent more than the 15 min. minimum to work on the taxes and got them done! One Postponed Project crossed off my list!

On Sunday, I did 2 more postponed projects and started on a 3rd.

Today, I plan to continue with the one I started on yesterday (cleaning out my files!)

Mini Fix:

Family: Had a great weekend. Watched a couple good movies, bowling, out to breakfast, games(including a 3 hour game of Monopoly :)Lots of quality time together.

DH and I had a date night on Friday. It was nice, and quiet!

Health:LOTS of appts this week. DD had her stitches removed today(hit her head and had 3 in her eyebrow). According to her it hurts just as bad as getting them put in lol!
Tomorrow DS has a doc appt, Wednesday I do, and Thursday DS has a dentist appt.

Environment: Ok. Laundry is good, not overwhelming. Not all done either, but in the middle is certainly better then how it was before!

I got 2 books that I've been wanting to read, so that and studying for my upcoming exam will be my leisure time

Be back later:)

Hello, everyone.

I am still in shock on how it has become April. Sorry, but teaching has become such a part of my life that I am very much looking forward to the break this summer but also not looking forward to being off. Its going to be a hard balance.

Looking at my FIX:
Health: I caught a cold while away last week on Spring Break, so I am still not feeling 100%.

Environment: I have been doing the bare minimum since I have been sick, and I really need to do a quick clean-up.

Friends: Spent 6 days away with 3 fellow teachers/friends during Spring Break- lots of time shopping, swimming in the pool and hot tub, visiting the zoo, museum, planetarium, and art gallery. It was a really nice way to spend some time together.

Tina, will you spend your summer break there in Manitoba? Will there be time to explore the territory?

I'm reading through everyone's posts: Hi Everyone!

Finally tackling some neglected financial stuff: doing the taxes. One more receipt to enter tomorrow, then I think we can file everything. I don't know why I waited so long, but it's getting done, so that's good. We'll have more long-term financial information mid-month, and I'm chomping at the bit with what decisions that could bring!

The good news is this: while last year, I worked all year for peanut (singular), this year I worked for peanuts (plural)! Increased profits! Yay! It's very cool to see that my prediction of business growth even through the recession (based on historical research of previous financial crises) is actually holding steady. The first quarter of this year is up from the first quarter of last year, too. Now, to get that same thing happening across *all* the income streams. More organizational skills neeeded!

Environment is okay; loads of backyard and garden planning happening. Laundry is suspiciously caught up, which likely means everyone's been taking it to the laundry, and no one has started loads, so I'm sure it will overwhelm me tomorrow. Kitchen is tidy, though, and the rest of the house is quite presentable. DH and kids also did some "please let it be spring soon" yard tidy-up, which feels great.

Spirit: had a weekend of listening to sermons and knitting for a friend, so I'm feeling Quite Fat & Plump there. I should be able to finish up the knitting project tomorrow while DD's have their various lessons, and then it's just sewing a few burp flannels, and popping things into a box.

Also on the agenda this week is a care package to one of my old friends who is a chaplain overseas (well, not so much for him, as for the troops he ministers to!) I want to get a box off by the end of the week.

Menu/Budget: I did a lot of bulk batch cooking last week, so we have some nice things stocked in the freezer right now. More to do in bits over the coming week or so, but I'm taking a break for the first part of this week.

A local shop has all their garden seeds (flowers and food seeds) 50% off, and good packet prices to start, so I think I need to pop down there Wednesday and gather some goodies.

That's about it, I think... not too terribly unbalanced, overall, but definitely some hot spots to work on.

TinyTina: If you've been consistent in taking out income for the summer, it's not hard. You'll have the income with lots of time for your own studies, or part time work, or just some R & R. (Although, I'm told it gets old after the first couple of weeks.)

Good luck in finding that balance.

Chellybelly: Your weekend sounds wonderful. I feel for your DD!

Bless: I am so proud of you on all of your accomplishments! (I won't even question your cleaning out the files.)

EC: I hope your midmonth financial update is lucrative and meets your needs.

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Nothing much has changed from my last update. DS has a concert tonight, which I'm really looking forward with anticipation.

DH has tonight off, so he'll be able to attend the concert too. That's a definite positive.

To all of you under the weather take care of yourself!

Striving: Thank you for the encouragement. Cleaning out the files is essential if I am to deal with the stack of "to be filed" papers! There's no more room in my file drawers for another sheet of paper! I have noticed, earlier, too, that I tend to procrastinate on filing when my file drawers become too full!

FIX Update:

DD: Is down with yet another cold/sore throat. Poor thing never really got over her previous cold, and now she has a fresh one. I am hoping I will not catch it, but I usually do.

Environment: Living/dining rooms are OK. Trying hard to keep kitchen counters relatively clear.

The office/guest/crafts room is a bit of a mess since I pulled stuff out of the crafts closet and I am cleaning out the files. It is also my April "room of the month".

Time Management: Made a new Master List.

Bless, are you weeding out the files? Stuff that gets filed needs to be frequently purged.

Hello all, been a while since I posted my FIX.

Career: huge improvements here. Another person in my company has been promoted and will be doing the same job that I do. Because of that, my boss transferred my most pain in the butt client over to him to see if he has any better luck with them. It's taken a huge amount of stress off my shoulders.

Environment: had company both Saturday and Sunday so the house is CLEAN! DD and I agreed we want it to stay like that.

Been doing a lot of small projects around the house. DD picked out a paint for her bathroom yesterday which much to my surprise, I loved. It's a bright lemon yellow which I usually don't care for but I think it will look great. Now to find new towels for her.

Health: have my physical tomorrow but I had my bloodwork done already last week and all is well.

DD: She's just awesome. In the home stretch for finishing middle school. Last day is May 26th. Need to order her graduation present - an iPad2 - so it's here in time. They're backordered.

She was such a doll this morning, went outside and picked me flowers for my desk before she went to school.

Big audition for her at the theater tonight. Fingers crossed, she's very nervous because she hasn't done a show in a while.

Fun/leisure: we got the hot tub up and running this weekend! It actually wasn't hot until yesterday morning so DH and I went in it after breakfast. It will be so good for both of us and our stress and sore muscles. Went in again after he got home from playing tennis last night too.