Setting Your Priorities By Ericka Foster
Joy is different for everyone, so I can’t write a a how-to on adding more joy to your life. I wish I could just say eat more ice cream cones, watch a certain TV show, or have a certain mean. But I can tell you how I became to find joy in my life. In 2008, I was laid off, and quickly realized that if I couldn’t figure out how to find joy – particularly the cheap kind, the anxiety of uncertainty would eat me alive. It clicked for me when I set my life’s priorities using a life wheel. I’m hoping that once you identify your priorities, you get more joy out of your life. For example: When you have $10, habitually, you may go to the store and purchase a candy bar and an energy drink. Certainly there is joy in sugar and wakefulness. But after you identify your priorities, you may decide you want to spend the $10 on something that you care more about – like a stuffed animal for your favorite person. First, draw a circle and divide the wheel into the categories: Finance
Family
Friends
Spirituality
Health
Career
Contribution
Romance
Then, draw five circles within the largest circle. You will use the inner circles to rank where you think you are in your life. You can find a template at www.mindtools.com This is your circle It’s based on your perception, so there is no right or wrong answer to do this. Additionally, you can make the categories your own. For example, Family and Friends can be one category. Or, if you have a hobby, you can make that
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