Have you taken time to ponder the past year? Have you examined the essential areas of your life to determine where you might make changes and grow? Reflection and planning are important components of a healthy lifestyle.
Although many people focus on physical health at the start of a new year, it’s always good to consider other potential areas of growth and well-being. You can read more about this in prior posts including “Reflections for moving forward during times of transition.”
As I lead seminars and work with clients, I recommend reflection and planning in the following areas:
Career
• As you look toward retirement and enjoy your retirement years, how will you create work/life balance?
• How will you replace all the benefits that work provides?
• What combination of full-time or part-time work, entrepreneurial pursuits, and volunteer activities will help you fulfill life-long dreams, thereby improving your mental health?
Family And Friends
• Which relationships with family and friends make you feel happy, healthy, and purposeful?
• Which people have a less-than-positive impact on you and your plans for retirement?
• With whom do you want to invest more of your time?
Intimate Relationships
• Where can you and your significant other use more reflection and planning?
• What activities do you enjoy together?
• What pursuits would improve the closeness, connection, and emotional bond your relationship needs?
Personal Development
• What are your strengths?
• What gives your life direction and meaning?
• What purpose are you pursuing?
• What do you feel passionate about?
Leisure Life
• What new activities would you like to try?
• What hobbies and interests bring you pleasure, relaxation, and a positive outlook on life right now?
• After reflection and planning, what would you change to create a balance between solitary pursuits and social interactions (in both a perfect world and our current pandemic)?
Retirement Lifestyle
• Is your retirement lifestyle—where you want to live, how soon you will retire, whether or not you will find another paying job, what leisure activities you will enjoy—realistic based on your financial resources?
• What can you change for a healthier you?
Money
• Have you planned for your financial future?
• What professional help do you need to engage?
Spirituality
• Are you going it alone or do you rely on a higher power or something beyond yourself in your daily life?
• Do your values and actions honor and respect yourself and others?
What reflection and planning do you need to do to have a happier, healthier, more balanced lifestyle?