Yes, No & The Choices We Make
By Victoria Cook , The Guilt-Free Coach

Balance is not an end point destination or a “thing” to be acquired, but is dynamic and always changing. One of the ways to assess the current state of balance in your life is to utilize a coaching tool called the Wheel of Life. I’ve made available the Wheel of Life assessment tool on the Resources page of my website. I encourage you to take a few minutes and utilize this tool so you can get a sense of where you are in your life.

Next it’s important to understand all of the wedges of your wheel are connected. The balance, or lack of balance, in one area will affect one or more of your other wedges. This assessment tool helps visually display these impacts as well as provide a view of the progress made over time. It’s not about getting all 10’s in the various wedges on the wheel, but having a smoother ride. Recognizing the bumpy ride is the certainly first step towards change.

The Choices We Make
So, how do we go about making changes and gain better balance in life? It starts by looking at the choices being made. You are either moving away from or towards balance and harmony based on your daily choices. When you say “Yes” to one thing, you are automatically saying “No” to something else. For example, if you say “Yes” to staying up late to watch the end of a movie on TV even though you need to be up at 6 AM for work, you are saying “No” to having a good nights sleep and being well rested for the next day. You may say “Yes” to working overtime, but that may mean saying “No” to some family time.

Learning to say no is a learned skill. It can be difficult to do, but it is valuable to achieving and maintaining balance in life. Saying no is not rude; it doesn’t mean you aren’t a team player or that you are being selfish. To say no is about choosing: choosing to say yes to those things that are fulfilling, bring you greater energy, or allows you to utilize your talents while saying no to the things that suck the life from you or step on your values. We must choose and we must know what we have chosen by making a deliberate and conscious decision.

To what are you saying YES and NO?

1. Begin by selecting one or two areas from your wheel on which you’d like to focus and make positive change.

2. Identify what you are saying Yes and No to within these wedges.

3. Next ask yourself “What’s one choice I can make differently this week to bring more peace and harmony in this wedge of my life?”

4. Identify 1 thing you are willing to tackle, give yourself a specific time frame in which you will make changes, and commit to making it happen.

Change doesn’t happen over night, but each conscious decision you make, CAN move towards greater harmony and quality in your life! If you find you are struggling or feeling guilty about making these changes, consider contacting me for a complimentary balance consultation session. I’d be glad to help you get started on a new path towards greater fulfillment and balance in your life - - Guilt-Free!

About the Author
Victoria Cook, The Guilt-Free Coach, helps ambitious working Moms create more time and focus to accomplish their goals, grow their business, and live guilt-free! Get free resources for increasing YOUR time and reducing stress at http://www.theguiltfreecoach.com/gift.

Yes, No, & The Choices We Make © 2005 - 2008 Victoria Cook. All rights reserved.

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