November is coming to an end; time to review my November balanced life goals and list what I intend to do to strive for balance in December.
As I've explained before, my monthly balanced life goals are similar to the spokes of a wheel, with the length of each spoke representing my satisfaction in that area of my life, from 1 to 10, with 1 being most dissatisfied and 10 being most satisfied. Ideally, all the spokes are of equal length and the wheel will roll along smoothly. If the spokes are of unequal lengths, then, the resulting wheel will be lop-sided and wobbly. My ratings for each segment are shown within the parentheses, with the beginning of the month ratings in black and the end of the month ratings in blue.
Balanced Life Goals:
November Spiritual (10)(10): The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life.
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful
- Continue to attend Temple prayer/blessing services online
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able
I continued with my daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, and I have tried to be positive and joyful, although I had a bit of a wobble with that when I was so disappointed that my daughter would not be able to come home for Thanksgiving. However, I managed to do an attitude adjustment, eventually. I have tried to be generous and giving; I was also blessed by the generosity of others, as well. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Spiritual (10)
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful
- Continue to attend Temple prayer/blessing services online
- Continue to attend Temple prayer/blessing services online
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able
I continued with my daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, and I have tried to be positive and joyful, although I had a bit of a wobble with that when I was so disappointed that my daughter would not be able to come home for Thanksgiving. However, I managed to do an attitude adjustment, eventually. I have tried to be generous and giving; I was also blessed by the generosity of others, as well. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Spiritual (10)
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful
- Continue to attend Temple prayer/blessing services online
- Make the almsgiving donation to the Temple in lieu of having an almsgiving at home
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able
November House (8.5)(8): The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming.
- Clean - Clean as needed
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Continue to declutter (goal = 30 items)
The house is being maintained although I haven't always kept to my cleaning routines and it shows! I also did some decluttering, although I didn't meet my goal of 30 items. The house is not in a bad shape, nothing that some clearing of surfaces and vacuuming can't fix, but, I am lowering the rating to 8 because I don't feel like I did enough in terms of keeping up with the housework, this month.
December House (8):
- Clean - Clean as needed
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Continue to declutter (goal = 31 items)
The garden is being maintained and I've harvested feijoa and pomegranates. The peach tree has been pruned, M planted some yucca cuttings, and there are some seedlings coming up in the mini victory garden. I put down more flattened cardboard boxes in the side yard, too, and noticed that some bulbs are starting to come up. I am keeping the rating at 9.
December Garden (9):
- Maintain(water frequently as needed, weed, fertilize)
November Family & Friends (10)(10): The goal is to continue to have a close connection with family and friends.
November Health & Well Being (8)(8): The goal is good health
- Attend all of this month's medical appointments (2 scheduled - dentist and podiatrist)
I went to the dentist's twice and actually had a third appointment scheduled for November 30, but, when I called to find out if my partial would be ready today, I found out that the technician had been exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid and they were rescheduling appointments. I also cancelled my podiatrist appointment because of the rise in Covid case numbers and the need to limit my exposure. I am continuing to work on my life style changes (sleep patterns, exercise, better diet, etc.). I have lost a little bit of weight, as well, although that keeps fluctuating. I'm keeping the rating at 8!
December Health & Well Being (8):
- Attend all of this month's medical appointments
December Time Management (8):
- Continue to focus on making my schedule work for me
- Procrastinate less
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully
November Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10)(10): The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.
- Engage in daily joyful activities
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able
November House (8.5)(8): The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming.
- Clean - Clean as needed
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Continue to declutter (goal = 30 items)
The house is being maintained although I haven't always kept to my cleaning routines and it shows! I also did some decluttering, although I didn't meet my goal of 30 items. The house is not in a bad shape, nothing that some clearing of surfaces and vacuuming can't fix, but, I am lowering the rating to 8 because I don't feel like I did enough in terms of keeping up with the housework, this month.
December House (8):
- Clean - Clean as needed
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Continue to declutter (goal = 31 items)
- Decorate - Decorate to bring some holiday cheer!
- Continue with landscaping the side yard
November Garden (9)(9): The goal is a garden that is productive, yet drought tolerant.
- Maintain (water frequently as needed, weed, fertilize)- Continue with landscaping the side yard
The garden is being maintained and I've harvested feijoa and pomegranates. The peach tree has been pruned, M planted some yucca cuttings, and there are some seedlings coming up in the mini victory garden. I put down more flattened cardboard boxes in the side yard, too, and noticed that some bulbs are starting to come up. I am keeping the rating at 9.
December Garden (9):
- Maintain(water frequently as needed, weed, fertilize)
November Daughter (10)(10): The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her.
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., to keep in close touch with her
- Be supportive of her and continue to be there for her
- Be supportive of her and continue to be there for her
- Look forward to the possibility of her coming down for Thanksgiving!
Daughter and I continue to keep in contact daily. Unfortunately, she was not able to come down for Thanksgiving and that was a big disappointment to us both. But, we managed to share our Thanksgiving meal by visiting with each other online while we ate! I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Daughter (10):
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., to keep in close touch with her
- Be supportive of her and continue to be there for her
Daughter and I continue to keep in contact daily. Unfortunately, she was not able to come down for Thanksgiving and that was a big disappointment to us both. But, we managed to share our Thanksgiving meal by visiting with each other online while we ate! I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Daughter (10):
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., to keep in close touch with her
- Be supportive of her and continue to be there for her
- Look forward to the possibility of her coming down for Christmas!
November Family & Friends (10)(10): The goal is to continue to have a close connection with family and friends.
- Regular phone calls and emails to check on family and friends
This month, I interacted with family and friends through phone calls, emails, texts, etc., and shared food with some of them. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Family and Friends (10):
- Regular phone calls and emails to check on family and friends
This month, I interacted with family and friends through phone calls, emails, texts, etc., and shared food with some of them. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Family and Friends (10):
- Regular phone calls and emails to check on family and friends
- Try to get holiday gifts to them, if possible (contactless deliveries/shipped direct, etc.)
November Community (10)(10): The goals is to be involved in my community
- Continue to participate in the various community groups to the extent possible
November Community (10)(10): The goals is to be involved in my community
- Continue to participate in the various community groups to the extent possible
I participated in the blogging community and at least one other online community; I was also able to share my pomegranates with several of my neighbors, this month. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Community (10):
- Continue to participate in the various community groups to the extent possible.
December Community (10):
- Continue to participate in the various community groups to the extent possible.
November Finances (10)(10): The goal is financial security
- Continue spending mindfully, with purpose
I continued to spend mindfully in November. I stayed within budget and paid my bills in a timely manner. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Finances (10):
I continued to spend mindfully in November. I stayed within budget and paid my bills in a timely manner. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Finances (10):
- Continue spending mindfully, with purpose
November Health & Well Being (8)(8): The goal is good health
- Attend all of this month's medical appointments (2 scheduled - dentist and podiatrist)
- Continue to work on the same life style changes as before to the extent possible
- Continue to strive to attain a healthier weight
I went to the dentist's twice and actually had a third appointment scheduled for November 30, but, when I called to find out if my partial would be ready today, I found out that the technician had been exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid and they were rescheduling appointments. I also cancelled my podiatrist appointment because of the rise in Covid case numbers and the need to limit my exposure. I am continuing to work on my life style changes (sleep patterns, exercise, better diet, etc.). I have lost a little bit of weight, as well, although that keeps fluctuating. I'm keeping the rating at 8!
December Health & Well Being (8):
- Attend all of this month's medical appointments
- Continue to work on the same life style changes as before to the extent possible
- Continue to strive to attain a healthier weight
November Time Management (8)(8): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner.
- Continue to focus on making my schedule work for me
- Procrastinate less
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully
On going. I continue to struggle with this area of my life. I feel I have slowed down a lot since retirement and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not! I am keeping my satisfaction rating to 8.
November Time Management (8)(8): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner.
- Continue to focus on making my schedule work for me
- Procrastinate less
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully
On going. I continue to struggle with this area of my life. I feel I have slowed down a lot since retirement and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not! I am keeping my satisfaction rating to 8.
December Time Management (8):
- Continue to focus on making my schedule work for me
- Procrastinate less
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully
November Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10)(10): The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.
- Engage in daily joyful activities
- Daily piano practicing
- Do the crafts project I have in mind
I have been engaging in daily joyful activities and did several f the activities listed in my November Joys list. I have been practicing the piano, too, and knitting. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10):
- Do the crafts project I have in mind
I have been engaging in daily joyful activities and did several f the activities listed in my November Joys list. I have been practicing the piano, too, and knitting. I am keeping the rating at 10.
December Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10):
- Engage in daily joyful activities
- Daily piano practicing
- Do some holiday crafts/making gifts
- Do some holiday crafts/making gifts
November was a pretty good month, I think, and I was able to find sufficient balance. Yes, some areas could have been better, but, over all, it was a balanced month.
How was your November in terms of maintaining balance among the different areas of your life? How do you plan to achieve or maintain balance in your life in December?
Fantastic month overall, you're doing a great job!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. There were small wobbles along the way, but, on the whole, it was a good month. :)
DeleteIt does sound like you had a good November and I think you did well to maintain the balance, considering the current situation.
ReplyDeleteI think my own November was on a par with yours. I've let some aspects of life go a little so am now focusing to bring them back to a state where I'm happy.
Like you I have slowed down in retirement and am not entirely sure how I feel about it. I'm happy being at home but am wasting a lot of my time and am not keeping on top of essentials as much as I'd like. However, in a different way, life has slowed down even more as a result of lockdown and strangely, I can't deny that the slower pace of life suits me better. It's difficult to know what to do for the best!!
Thank you, Eileen; between retirement and lockdown, life has certainly become a lot slower, hasn't it? Although, I think a certain amount of slowing down has helped me physically - my blood pressure levels are much better since I retired!
DeleteI so admire your dedication to your balance wheel! I particularly like the term, "being mindful". I think that should be my goal for 2021.💖
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan. Being mindful is a good goal, I think! :)
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