The Categories of your Life

Awareness is the key to creating change. If we aren’t aware of our situation, then we have no reason or compass from which to change. So acknowledging where we are in the various aspects of our lives, will help us to determine what next steps to take. 

There are 8 categories that we can look at in our lives in which we can determine the quality of life in each area. I will list them here and then you can think about where you are in relation to each of these categories.

Spiritual

Spirituality, or lack thereof is the foundation of how we live our lives. Whether we are spiritual or not doesn’t matter. The fact is that our decisions come from certain belief systems that we have or grew up with.  Oftentimes, we are led by our subconscious mind and habitual patterns.  It’s important to ask yourself where you are with regard to your belief in God, or spirituality or your place in the universe or asking the deep questions that are worth asking.  If you were to rate your spiritual life on a scale of one to five, one being I’m not really in tune with my spiritual side, and five being that I’m very spiritual and in tune with my spiritual self, what number would you say represents the quality of your spiritual life?

Health and Wellness

What can we do without good health? It’s another foundational piece of existing and living well and being there for other people. Too often, we neglect our bodies.  There is enough information available to help people understand how the body works and yet, so many of us still suffer from preventable illnesses and disease.  You can break this category into sub-categories and ask yourself where you fall on a scale of one to five (one being not satisfied at all to five being extremely satisfied) with your weight, immune system, strength, flexibility, and how you feel.  I recommend getting your blood drawn every year, getting your hormone levels checked, practicing good nutritional habits and getting plenty of exercise.   

Relationships

We aren’t meant to live alone and relationships are a top priority in my book.  A person who has good relationships over all with all different kinds of people, including their significant other, will experience more joy throughout life.  Having good communication skills, social and emotional intelligence, and a desire to get along with people will be helpful in having great relationships.  

We have many different types of relationships.  There is our companion/life partner relationship or possibly lack thereof.  Then we have relationships with our kids, extended family, friends and co-workers.  All relationships are important and deserve a bigger level of awareness than what people typically practice. 

Look at each type of relationship and ask yourself, on a scale of one to five, what is my level of satisfaction with my companion/spouse, kids, friends, co-workers and others.  Rate each sub-category.  Then see if there is something you would like to do to improve those relationships.

Finances/Money

Money is the energy that keeps us afloat.  We know that some people have tons of money, some people have enough money and possibly a plan to retire, some people have just enough to get by, and some people are very poor. What I’m suggesting is that we look at money from the standpoint of, is your relationship with money healthy? Do you have money in reserve, do you know how to make money? On a scale of 1 to 5 one being I’m always struggling with money and a debt, to five being I’m pretty comfortable, where do you fall?

Job/Career

Empty nesting is a time where we start to either work more, doing a job we love, work more, doing a job we hate, or start thinking about changing jobs and careers altogether. So this could be a really good time to ask yourself, am I happy? Am I fulfilled in my current job situation and career? I have heard story after story of people leaving their jobs, scared out of their minds, and then creating a new life with either a new job, starting a business or nonprofit, or retiring. So it may be time to ask yourself on a scale of one to five, one being I hate my job/career to five being I’m really really satisfied and love what I do. Where do you see yourself in this category?

Intellectual

Some people might not think this is important.  In my world, it is very important.  Are we learning? Are we growing? Are we sharing what we learn?  I believe in creating intellectual stimulation on a regular basis to keep your brain supple, and to keep you up to speed on what’s happening in the world. As we age, it is important to stay sharp and continue to learn new things - especially technology. But also, it makes you way more interesting, and I love to be around interesting people. Do you?

Leisure

People need rest and relaxation. It's good to work hard and it’s good to play hard. Everyone’s idea of leisurely activity can be very different. Some people like to play bocce ball and some people like to play chess, and some people like to lay around and watch movies.  Some people love to travel and see the world, or relax on the beach or near a pool.  The point is, you could look at your leisure life as a necessity and plan that into your day, week, month or year.  Taking time for fun is important for your health.  Plan for fun in your life, but also, ask yourself where you stand in this area so you can decide if you need to make some changes.

Social 

The research is showing that being social later in life is important for your health and well-being.  It’s good to make new friends every few years and expand your social circle.  When you have good friends, you have more interaction, gain new ideas and have more laughter in your life.  Figure out where you are in this aspect of your life and decide…do I need a new friend right now?  I’ll bet you somewhere out there is a person wondering the same thing and wishing they had a new friend.  You could be a new bright spot in someone’s life!  

Creativity

Last but not least is developing, maintaining and sharing your creativity.  This part of your life - especially as you age - is really important.  We are creative beings.  We create many things, even if we don't consider them to be creative.  Cooking, making a house clean or decorated, drawing pictures, writing text messages, business writing, projects, hobbies, blog posts (like this one), so many things can be considered creative endeavors.  In our empty nesting years, this is the best time to create whatever your heart desires.  Take time to think about what you would like to create.  Something that brings you joy and might inspire someone else.  

When you truly have balance in life, you are paying attention to all of these categories. Many people neglect one or more categories. They may be really focused on their health, wellness and fitness, but their relationships may not be so great. In other cases, some people might be super intellectual and really happy learning, and then be seriously overweight. Some people have amazing relationships yet their finances are in the toilet. So where do you see yourself neglecting yourself?  Being aware of these different areas gives you a chance to work on new things in your life.  And, it can be fun if you make it fun!

If you need some help identifying what needs to be next for you, consider a coaching session with me.  For the investment of an hour of your time you might have a breakthrough with me and you can see what coaching feels like.  Click on the image below to schedule a time with me and I will look forward to talking with you then.

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