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Issue 9            Linda K. Liebold           www.CoachToSuccess.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Creating a Balanced Life Do you ever feel like there’s not enough time in a day -- not enough time to do the things you REALLY want to do?  Perhaps you feel like you are spending too much time at work…or not enough time with your spouse… or too much time taking care of the house…or not enough personal time just for you.   It would be great if we could find more time by turning a 24-hour day into a 36-hour day, but we can’t.  Yet, we can make more time for the things we really want to do by creating more balance in our lives.    The first step in creating better balance is to determine how unbalanced your life is now.  Take a look at the balance wheel below.  Each of the eight spokes represents an area of life that contributes to balance (Health; Family & Friends; Romance, Spouse, Significant Other; Personal and Spiritual Growth; Fun and Recreation; Physical Environment; Career; Money).  Imagine a “0” in the center of the circle and a “10” on the outer edge of the circle.  To complete the Balance Wheel, you carefully consider each of the areas of your life represented on the Balance Wheel by asking yourself, "How satisfied am I?"  Next, you assign each area a number between “0” and “10" ("0" is not at all satisfied; "10" is completely satisfied). Then, you write the numbers in the appropriate places on the spokes (lines). Finally, you connect the numbers. You will see how jagged or smooth your Personal Balance Wheel is. Take a look at the example below.  The person who completed this wheel is very satisfied with her Family and Friends, so she gave it a “9.”  Yet, she is much less satisfied with her Career, so she gave it a "3."  By connecting the numbers, she can see that her life is not at all balanced. She has a very jagged wheel. Now it's your turn.  Complete the Personal Balance Wheel below: How smooth or jagged is your wheel?  How balanced is your life? Now, take a sheet of paper and write down the eight areas of your life in descending order, starting with the one that has the highest number (highest area of satisfaction) and then the next highest, and so on.  Under each area, write down at least three things you would like to do to improve that area of your life. Keep this list in a place where you can see it each day.  Work on the areas you want to improve.  Do this exercise again in one month, two months, six months, one year.  See if your wheel becomes smoother and bigger each time.  If it does, you should be experiencing more satisfaction and balance in your life. Recommended Reading A Short Guide to a Happy Life Quindlen, Anna Random House, NY   Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Richard Carlson, PH.D. Hyperion, New York   Reinventing Yourself Sandra Davis and Bill Hanschin Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.    Take Time for Your Life Cheryl Richardson Broadway Books, New York   ----------------------------------------------------------     Back by Popular Demand! Tackling Your Tolerations October 15, 2003 1:00 - 2:00 pm EDT $20.00 registration fee  Whether you are a manager, an entrepreneur, someone in-between jobs, or a parent who stays at home, you most likely put up with a lot of tolerations in your life. We all tend to tolerate certain people, situations, unmet needs, unfinished business, other people’s behavior, and even our own behavior. Often, we don’t even realize what we’re tolerating unless it’s something so big that we are forced to pay attention to it. Whether it’s a full email box, a cluttered desk, an unpaid bill, or a cobweb you can’t reach, tolerations are stressful and drain your energy.  Would you like to create a life that is free of tolerations? If so, plan on attending this tele-forum (telephone conference session) where you will develop your personal list of of tolerations and determine ways to eliminate them. Within this one-hour workshop, you will begin to get rid of the things that weigh you down and create more space in your life for the things that lighten you up and give you energy.  To register, email: Tackling@CoachToSuccess.com. Once payment has been received, you will receive the phone number to call. Registration deadline: October 14, 2003. Free E-zine Leadership & Life Tips is a monthly ezine featuring professional and personal strategies for success.  Each issue offers thought-provoking and practical tips, tactics, and resources to motivate and empower you to  be the best that you can be in your career and in your life. If you wish to subscribe please send an email to subscribe@CoachToSuccess.com, or to unsubscribe please send an email to unsubscribe@CoachToSuccess.com. Free Coaching Session If you would like a complimentary, 30-minute, no obligation coaching telephone session, send an email to Linda@CoachToSuccess.com. Share Your Tips If you would like to share your own tips and recommended resources, please send them to: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and they will be included in an upcoming issue of Leadership & Life Tips. About the Author Linda Liebold, M. A., is a business, career and life coach. She is founder of Coach To Success, whose mission is to motivate and empower people to be successful both personally and professionally. Linda has 25 years of experience as a coach, consultant, manager, trainer, speaker, and facilitator.  Since 1984, she has headed Liebold & Associates, Inc., a strategic planning, marketing and communications consulting company. She has worked with hundreds of individuals in over 60 organizations nationwide. She is affiliated with Coach U, Coachville and the International Coach Federation. She is certified in administering the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), and other personality, management, team, and individual assessments. For more information click here. ------------------------------------------------------------- © 2008 Linda Liebold All rights reserved. Feel free to forward this e-zine to others. Reproduction for publication is approved, provided the copyright information is included along with the following attribution: From CoachToSuccess.com, an e-zine by Linda K. Liebold, M.A., 410-544-3655 , Email: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and website: www.CoachToSuccess.com   ------------------------------------------------------------- Leadership & Life Tips is a monthly e-zine featuring professional and personal strategies for success.  Each issue offers thought-provoking and practical tips, tactics, and resources to motivate and empower you to  be the best that you can be in your career and in your life. If you wish to subscribe please send an email to subscribe@CoachToSuccess.com, or to unsubscribe please send an email to unsubscribe@CoachToSuccess.com.