It’s important from time to time that we sit down and honestly assess our lives. Doing so allows us to make an honest determination about where we are now and where we want to be in the future. When we’re assessing our finances, we prepare a financial balance sheet. On it we list our debits and credits so that we can determine our bottom line. What if you wanted to determine the state of the life you lead? How is it, or is it not, serving you? The answer is simple – prepare a Life Balance Sheet. Much like a financial balance sheet, list all of your lifestyle debits (choices that detract from balance) such as the following:

Maintaining relationships that drain you

Constantly whining, griping, or complaining

Inability to say no

Always expecting the worse

Being ungrateful

Unwilling to listen effectively

Forgetting to mind your manners

Taking others for granted

Next list your credits – ways you live your life that support and honor you. Anything positive you count as a credit – no action is too big or too small. Below are a few credits that add to your life’s bottom line.

1. Smile – not just at people you know, but especially at those you don’t

2. Give to others without expecting anything in return

3. Do one thing outside of your comfort zone that improves the quality of your life

4. Allow someone to merge into traffic – even if they didn’t wait their turn

5. Compliment a salesperson/clerk on a job well done

6. Use the good crystal and china other than for a holiday

7. Be honest about what you need to be happy

8. Read to a child

9. Dance to your favorite music

10. Place your neighbors’ newspaper right outside their door

11. Call someone just to say “hello” and to see how they are doing

12. Buy a co-worker a cup of coffee or ice cream cone

13. Walk barefoot in the grass

14. Tell someone “I love you”

15. Learn one new thing every week

16. Every day acknowledge at least one thing in life for which you are grateful

At least once a month, create a Life Balance Sheet. Take a look at your Life Balance Sheet at least once a day. This will empower you, at a glance, to realize how wonderful life can be and allow you to make lifestyle adjustments as necessary. Remember, a great life is yours to create. Go create a fabulous life!

Joy Fisher-Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail her at mailto:jfsykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call her at (757) 427-7032. Go to her web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional."

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