Ever feel that your life is not as well-balanced as you would like? Ever long to have a more balanced life?

Imagine your life as a large wheel with many spokes; each spoke of the wheel represents one facet of your life's work, roles, or concerns. You can use good organizational habits and techniques to make sure your different spokes are getting the attention they need to keep the wheel of your life balanced and rolling along nicely, rather than bumping and thudding at the flat or “wonky” bits.

You define your spokes in whatever way seems best suited to you. For instance, you might look at:

Personal Development or Spirituality
Relationship with Partner
Relationship with Family
Relationship with Friends
Career
Community or Charitable Service
Health
Home Management or Personal Environment
Financial Management
Time Management
Educational Development

There's no need to define your spokes in the categories above. Choose what works for you! Expect your spokes, and your focus, to change over time.

To start, pick four to six main facets of life, and rate your satisfaction right now. Then, join in the discussion to share your plans for improving the balance in your life, ask for feedback, or just enjoy the camaraderie of the group as we all seek greater balance.

Begin where you are; some things will improve rapidly, and others will take more time. What matters is your overall balance, over time.

Here's to better balance through organization!

Hi, everyone!

It's a new month, already! June sure went by fast, didn't it? How is everyone planning to have a more balanced life in July?

Here's my update:

Spiritual: I started off the month with a prayer offering at home. I was happy to be able to do so.

Environment: I ended June doing a whole-house cleaning on Saturday and was able to start the month with a clean house. I also did several baby steps in the 3rd bedroom which is doing quadruple duty as a guest room/crafts room/homeoffice/storage room!

Child/DD: She spent the weekend away from home, staying at a friend's house to attend the Anime Expo. Looking forward to having her back, today.

Family: Keeping in contact with relatives; again, the goal in July is contact with at least 1 family member per week.

Friends: Will try to schedule at least get together with a friend in July, too.

Community/Neighbors: Need to make time for a visit with one or two neighbors.

Health: Need to work on improving this spoke.

Career: I will celebrate 29 years of working for my current employer, this week!

Finances: Going as well as can be expected.

Time Management: I'm trying!

Leisure: I had a nice, relaxed weekend and spent a lot of time sewing, reading, etc.

So, that is my balance wheel assessment/update.

Do post and share yours.

Thanks for opening the new thread Blessmymess!
I am still struggling to be updating the boards and to include regular written assessment in my daily or weekly routine, but I keep the FIX in my focus and mind all the time, I find it a perfect life management tool!

I have been so proud of my surviving the years thanks to it!

I may do a little writing down of my assessment later today.

Sorry it took me so long to post on here. Thanks for opening up the new month Bless.

Spiritual: Been reading and praying in the screened in, until it got too hot to sit out there! Starts my day off right.

Finances:
Doing pretty good in this area. Just on card to pay down, and watching what I am spending.

Family/Friends:
Had a lovely 4th of July luncheon and visit with family and long distance friends, meeting my new center friends. We had a wonderful day, and it was great to catch up with my out of town friends. She donated her material stash to the sewing club at the center. What a sweet person! I also added to her stash from my own stash....good motivation!

Pets: doing good, but keeping them inside, toooo hot and only for Gypsy to jut relieve herself....sometimes I use the pads in the garage with it being over 100!

House: Finding I am keping things up as when I hadto get ready for the luncheon, just took a little ETEin and PUPAing a I was all ready!

How is everyone doing?

Here's an update from me:

Spiritual: Maintaining, with daily devotions.

Environment: I've done a couple of deep cleaning projects I had been postponing - one, I washed the walls and ceiling in one of the bathrooms; two, I fixed the glass on the china cabinet door, which had come out because the clips holding it in place had broken off, and cleaned the inside of the cabinet and everything stored/displayed in it. Trying to keep the rest of the house maintained.

DD: Is enjoying her summer break.

Family: Keeping to the July goal of contact with at least 1 family member per week - this week's contact was a phone call with a cousin and taking care of a bill payment for her.

Friends: Haven't got together with any friends, but spoke with a couple of them.

Community/Neighbors: Only quick conversations in passing, this week.

Health: Need to focus on this.

Career: Going well.

Finances: Met with my financial planner and reviewed my accounts with him. Things are where they should be and I was told to keep doing what I am doing.

Time Management: I am happy to report some progress - I was able to accomplish 3 projects I had procrastinated on for quite some time: 1) the meeting with the FP, 2) the china cabinet, 3) the bathroom walls and ceiling.

Leisure: I had a nice, relaxed weekend, again, and spent a lot of time sewing, watching tennis on TV, etc.

All in all, I am feeling rather well balanced and pleased. How about you?

Bless it is such nice thing to read you having some time to relax!

Here is my update:
Spiritual: Keeping up with my meditation and pryers each day

Health: Just hd some oral surgery. Trying to eat more healthy also.

Finances: working on a budget for next year, planning for various expenses thru out the next year.

Friends; Had some friends and family over to help me celebrate the 4th of July. It was great.

Meeting with the Unfinished Prject Group twice this month.

Family:
Spoke with family members this week.

Pets: doin fine, so fr

House: It has been working out with branches and ETEing, PUPAing in keeping things looking nice,

Hoping to finish up some craft projects .

Need to update my wheel.

I hope everyone is having a great summer. I have been a user of the GON for nearly nine years, I can't believe it!!! This is bringing me lots of thoughts about what I learnt and how I progressed. Certainly the FIX has been one of the tools I used most with the E.T.E. and the baby-steps! But sometimes it feels like I am stalling and not making progresses in my journey, probably because I have initially dreamt of an easier way to achieve my dreams. Wow: life has never promised to be an easy path, has it? And I still struggle with balance, as this is certainly why I came to GON in the first place, having a very unbalanced nature, and seeking it with all my heart.

Career - Finances - Business Development
Struggling. I have managed to maintain my goal on the expenses front, and am steadily adding some to my capital, but still really too slow to sustain my living. Haven't had any income for as long as I can remember. The savings are dwindling so dangerously, that it constantly scares me and certainly slows me down instead of pumping me when I should be pumped.

A huge bill will have to be paid on August 14, and I do not know how I will be able to honor it myself.

Health
The best segment so far. Working on maintaining good and healthy habits and also accepting my slips when they occur. Learning how to be gentler on myself without feeling like I am indulging the bad parts of myself.
The only caveat is the lack of enough sleep. I manage to go to bed much too late for my needs that are big (I would certainly need much more than the seven hours I am conceding to myself for scheduling purposes).
Feeling sleepy and not as alert as I would like feels terrible and frustrating.
Lots of room for improvement.

Home Management
Having only one boy at home for the summer makes it easier to maintain the surface. Less meals to prepare too. The apparences are better, but I had plans of decluttering the boys' loft/bedroom (pigsty?) and haven't made a real dent in the project. Three more weeks before deadline.

Relationships
A rocky segment. I am feeling extremely demanding and lonely.
Saw a friend who finally had been able to come over, even for too short a time, and didn't have time to spare with me except for a chat around tea, but we tried to do the best out of it we could, and it was lovely.

Also had a nice evening at a party, and bonded with a delicious lady who wrote me back a sweet email after I thanked her for our conversation.

Other friends are MIA like every summer and despite their renewed promises that this year it would be different because x,y or z. What was I thinking? Feels like I am sold soap there.

Family Every one is doing well, thank God. So thankful that my family is having good health and happy dispositions.

Spirituality Connecting intensely with my God, especially because of so many issues with my moods, my frustration, my anger, my sadness and depression and intense desire to overcome and not be deterred by the lack of spirituality that seems to be pervasive in my environment. God is being very patient with me and I am thankful for that.

Relationship with Husband- Going well. Celebrated his 58th birthday on Thursday.

Relationship with Friends- Talked to M & J this week. Saw B&J in the backyard and chatted.
Found out a friend has bone cancer 2-24 mos to live. Need to reach out to her.

Career –PT job ended and nothing on the horizon there. Trying to decide how to proceed there. FT job going ok. Our Director was in town for a few days and did a side by side with me for 1 ½ hrs. She was afraid I wouldn’t be open… I guess I opened her eyes and then some. She thanked me over and over again and told all the leaders about our chat. Looking forward to some positive changes in our dept.

Community Service –I called the county and requested another client. Took client MH shopping for shoes and to an estate sale. Will visit LM and JB in the next couple weeks.

Health - Doing okay. I am getting more exercise. Hitting my goal of steps with the pedometer. It is really my choice to meet my goal.

Home Management or Personal Environment- Met my 150 count challenge. Donated 3 yrs of magazines to the thrift store. Bringing 8 mags to work on Thurs to donate there. Donated 41 garden/garage type items Saturday with the magazines.

Financial Management- We are savings for the next 3 windows. Our savings is not where we wanted it. Have a few unplanned expenses the last 2 mos. I hit a turkey last week and have $2k damage to the hood and grill of the car. That is going in for repair on Tues. Thank goodness we have a low deductible but I am sure they will ‘encourage’ us to raise it in sept when the premium is due. My bathroom faucet is leaking and DH is off to buy replacements parts.

Time Management- Doing well.

Pets- Murf and I take a walk 2-3 times a week. We have had very humid days so we don’t go then. He went to the dog park with DH 2 days lastweek. Just too hot to be there otherwise. Not good for the dog or DH.

Hadassah: I am sorry to hear that you are being challenged on a couple of the segments. I hope that things improve in all the areas that you need them to.

Frugal: Sounds like things are going well for you. Happy belated birthday to your DH.

Here's my update:

Spiritual: Attended the monthly prayer meeting on Sat. It touches the family/friends segments, too, since I meet both family and friends at these prayer meetings.

Environment: I've started reorganizing the 3rd bedroom, which is my guest room/home office/crafts room. Did half of the closet in there and am going through the contents of a chest of drawers I keep in that closet - mostly my DM's papers and things.

DD: Is nearing the end of her summer break.

Family: Keeping to the July goal of contact with at least 1 family member per week. Met 2 of my cousins over the weekend.

Friends: Met several friends at the prayer meeting and spoke with another friend on the phone.

Community/Neighbors: Not much interaction with neighbors this week.

Health: Need to pay more attention to this spoke!

Career: All is well and I am grateful to be able to say that.

Finances: Paid for DD's upcoming summer class and text books.

Time Management: I need to keep to a schedule!

Leisure: Need to take time to relax more!

Time for another update!

Spiritual: Been doing meditation and praying in the screened in each morning and am so enjoying it. Feel closer to God out there, listening to birds singing and squirrels squeeking.

Health: Good except for the heat and humidity and breathing!
Met with the doctor this week, and scheduled a mammogram for Sept., and more blood tests. BP/Cholosteral higher than last time (out eating!).

Tooth surgery stitches out and all seemed well. Recheck in a month.

Friends/Family Had a lovely luncheon and craft day with good friends, luncheon with Inloves before they left for a small vacation,
Had a cousin over for dinner and a visit on Sat., Sunday took Dgs and family out to dinner for his bday.

Going to my DBS House on Sunday for a BBQ Tomorrow is a lunchen pot luck with the crochet group,

Pets are doing well.

House is in pretty good shape. DGS coming over to help me
bring items up for the craft room. DS1 will help move the dresser out of the craft room into the family room, as a sofa credenza. Same size as the table I am currently using.
Have to make a list of what I would like help from DGs1 next week.