Your Life Wheel (part 3)

I have touched upon five of the six spokes on your life wheel and this post will address the occupational side of your wheel. For many people, the occupational spoke on their life wheel is, by far, the largest. Obviously, this encompasses your work and your career plans. For some, it is such a large part of their lives that there is no room to fill the other spokes, and that is not good for your overall well being. Although we pay a lot of attention to this spoke when we launch or are thrown into a job search, often we don't tend to this spoke otherwise. But I encourage you, if you have not already done so, to spend some time thinking about your work and your career plans. Do they fit together well, just somewhat, or not at all? How do your career plans fit in with your life goals and plans? If you don't have life goals and plans, that would be a good place to start. Think about what you want to accomplish/contribute to this world and develop plans to help you get there. I believe your goals and at least the basics of your plans should be written down somewhere. It seems to me that goals not written down (or recorded somewhere) are basically just dreams and it is hard to make a dream into a reality without some specific plans. So identify where you are and where you want to be, occupationally, and by when. If you don't know what your dreams or plans are, at this stage in life, you may want to spend some time thinking about that. I find that without any plans, or goals to work towards, days just seem to be less meaningful. Sort of on the other end of the spectrum are those folks who have retired and are at a loss because their occupational spoke is so small. That group also includes those who are not looking forward to retirement because work is such a major part of their lives. In my opinion, that is also not good for your overall well being. The key is to not to let work take over your entire life while you are working, so that you have time for other interests and activities to enjoy, not only while you are working, but certainly after you have quit working or reduce your work load. Look for the final post regarding your life wheel in the coming days. Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change and job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, non-retirement planning, and other life planning issues. She is certified a a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Mary Ann meets with individuals in person and at a distance via telephone. Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Your Life Wheel (part 2)

Not long ago, I posted part one of this topic. If you have not read it, you may wish to go back to January's entries and do so. Your life wheel is something that you should try to keep in balance, no matter what stage of life you are in. In today's typically hectic world, it can be more challenging to take care of yourself, but it is even more important to do so. In addition to the physical, spiritual, and social spokes I've already addressed, you should also attend to the emotional, intellectual, and occupational aspects of your life. Times of transition, like changes to your living arrangements, job changes, even changes to your routine, can add to your level of stress. As much as possible, you should attend to all six spokes on your life wheel on a regular basis to help keep it rolling smoothly. Some bumps in the road are probably unavoidable, while others are not. Maintaining your life wheel can help to smooth out your ride. The emotional spoke on the wheel encompasses your feelings, i.e. your emotions. That spoke may be the more obvious one to others. When the emotional spoke on your life wheel is out of balance, you may feel sad, blue, depressed, angry, or just plain out of sorts. If that is your situation, I encourage you to find ways to add joy to your life. That joy may come from involvement with family or friends, or maybe from inside you because of your contributions to community or others. Although frustration or agitation may come from living in today's world, yours should not be at a level that is visible to others, on a regular basis. It is important to pay attention to your feelings, particularly during times of transition, because they provide clues as to how well you are coping. Your emotions are signals about what you are feeling or experiencing. Some people find that writing about those feelings help 'get them off their chest', so to speak. Developing a plan for how you will cope with your transition can also take away some of the sting caused by uncertainty. Other times you may need a more active way of working through your feelings, for example, talking things out with someone else or some type of physical activity. When I was going through a particularly difficult time, I found that even punching a pillow helped relieve some of the tension. Talking it out, getting a hug, and/or laughing are also ways to help cope with some of your emotional bumps. The intellectual spoke on your wheel also need to be attended to on a regular basis. It doesn't matter whether you are working outside the home or from home or in the home, or what your work situation is, your mind still needs stimulation. Working jigsaw or crossword puzzles is one way to keep your mind active, as is learning something new, reading, etc. It can also be stimulated by writing or participating in other creative activities. Researching your family's genealogical history is another activity many people have found interesting and helpful. Writing in a journal can help not only your intellectual, but also the emotional spoke on your life wheel. The occupational spoke will be addressed in the next post. Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career and job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, non-retirement planning, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.