Balance your life

Hello chipmunks and ravens

Happy Sunday. I’m back from camping in Bon Echo with my family, our annual tradition.

The best part? The nothing time. The stretch of space to think.

The worst part? The thinking. The stretch of space to overthink.

From morning coffee to late-night campfires, my brain kept looping the same track. Even my wife noticed.

“We keep having the same conversations.”

- Should I get a new job or go solo? Can I do both?

- Can I find a job that makes me happy or does no one love their job and just do it for the paycheque?

- How do we afford the life we live? Should I go for a high paying job, in office, Monday to Friday, or take a lower paying, more flexible job that allows me to be a Dad? And in this economy, can I get a job?

…and around we went.

Stop spinning. Start steering.

In the 1960s, Paul J. Meyer, a pioneer in self-improvement and founder of Success Motyivation Institute, borrowed an idea from Tibetan Buddhism, a sacred illustration called the Bhavachakra, or Wheel of Life.

It’s not about whether to get a job, start your own journey or balancing a budget, it’s about balancing your life in the ways that you want.

How satisfied am I in the [x] area of my life?

I did the exercise, and I wasn’t surprised.

No surprises:

- Career? Not where I want it, so it’s getting a lot of attention.

- Finances? We’ll survive — insurance now, emergency fund after. Plus, my wife and I are both side hustlers to the bone.

- Friendships? Weak. I’ve let them slide.

My kids are at overnight camp for two weeks, so I reached out to friends. Turns out, their kids are not at camp… so, not much hangs happening.

Friendships take time to build back. Two weeks won’t fix years of drift. But reflection gives me something better — direction.

The pebble

The roller coast of life.

Comic from Eugenia Viti - follow her on Instagram.

The challenge

Fill in your wheel of life.

1. Download the Wheel of Life template.

2. Rate each category from 1 (empty) to 10 (full).

3. Ask: Why did I give it that score?

4. Decide your ideal score for 3 months, 6 months, or a year from now.

5. Pick up to three areas to focus on now.

Don’t worry if your wheel is crooked or wobbly. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is momentum — expanding the wheel without breaking the spokes.