Our lives have many different aspects, and often it’s helpful to remember that many segments are functioning quite well even as one or two pieces seem to be out of control. If our goal is to be in balance, it’s helpful to look at our lives with this visual tool.
On any piece of paper, draw a circle and divide it into 8 segments. Label each segment as it best relates to your own particular circumstances:
- Work (or Life’s Work, or Vocation, orMission, or Passion)
- Family (biological, chosen, or both; could include Community)
- Friends (or Companionship, or Fun; could include Pets)
- Spirit (or Mental Health, or Soul Health, or Religious Life)
- Body (or Physical Well-being, or Health)
- Love (or Marriage, or Relationship, or Sex Life)
- Home (or Place in World, Safety & Security, Material Well-being; could include Car, Furniture, Clothes, Neighborhood, Cleanliness and Safety)
- Money (or Financial Health, or Economic Well-being)
Then, using different colors, color in each segment according to how well you think you are doing in each of them. I use a scale of 1-10, with 10 being as you want it to be – completely fulfilled and balanced. Working from the center out, color in each segment to the extent of the number (10 is the segment completely colored in). You’ll have segments completely or almost completely filled in, and some with only the inner portion colored in – anda pie with ragged outside edges.
It’s fascinating to literally see where one is out of balance. I’ve never completely filled in all segments, but I’ve been close. Then life happens and something demands my attention and things go a little out of balance again. I can focus a bit more attention on those areas to identify possible actions to help me get back in balance and feel more fulfilled. Where my attention goes, energy flows.
The “Pie” of Life is a visual reminder that my life has many aspects. It reminds me to pay attention to all of them. It assures me that the out-of-balance areas are just temporary, by visually demonstrating that I’m fine in other areas. This gives me confidence that I’ll be fine in this segment, given time, faith and some targeted action. I can be patient with my life process.
