VITALITY BEYOND AGE
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Achieving Optimal
Life Balance
Let's be Awesome in Later Life!
Creating a Plan for a Meaningful Life
Are you looking for new challenges, a sense of adventure, or ways to enhance your health and wellbeing?
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It’s never too late to take stock and ask ourselves, “How do I feel about my life right now?”
Are we spending our time doing what we love, engaging with people who bring us joy and carving out space for personal growth?
Achieving a satisfying life balance starts with understanding where we are today and making small, intentional adjustments toward the future we want.
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Defining Your Priorities
To gain clarity on what truly matters, consider these key questions:
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What are my priorities?
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Am I focusing on my intentions?
One of the great freedoms of later life is the opportunity to design our days with more flexibility. This raises powerful questions:
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What do I want my ideal day to look like?
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Is there a balance of activities I enjoy throughout the week?
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Am I honouring my priorities each month?
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Can I set long-term aspirations that excite and motivate me?
The Life Balance Chart
A useful tool to align our daily activities with our values and goals is a Life Balance Chart. This simple yet effective approach can provide insights into where our time and energy currently go—and where we might want to make changes.
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When I started this process, I felt somewhat stuck...
Retirement or a less structured lifestyle can be liberating but also daunting—how do we make the most of this time? So I created a basic pie chart to map out how I currently allocate my time over a year, a month, and a week. The result was illuminating.
I divided my time into sections that reflect my personal priorities. For example:
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Health, Fitness & Wellbeing: Walking, swimming, yoga, meditation.
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Community Involvement: Singing in a choir to raise funds for local charities.
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Culture & Entertainment: Reading, films, theatre, and listening to music.
There’s natural overlap between categories, and that’s okay—our lives are interconnected and multiple priorities can coexist. This isn’t about rigid divisions but about understanding what we value and how we can shape our days accordingly.
Developing your unique Life Balance Chart
Start by visually mapping out your life. Choose a format that resonates with you—a pie chart, spider diagram, bar chart or something else entirely. The goal is to create a snapshot of where your time currently goes. Include key areas such as:
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Hobbies and interests
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Family time and social connections
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Personal growth and learning
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Health and wellness activities
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Relaxation and household upkeep
This visual representation is a powerful way to evaluate what’s working and what needs adjustment. Here’s another example:
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Once you have your life snapshot, ask yourself:
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How satisfied am I with this balance?
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Would I like to add or remove something?
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What would I change in terms of how I spend my time?
Shaping the Life You Want
Thinking long-term is key. Reflect on:
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How much healthier and fitter do I want to feel?
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Do I wish to be more adventurous, informed, or socially engaged?
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Am I missing out on things or people that are important to me?
And on a more immediate level:
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Can I include more laughter, happiness, and activity in my daily life?
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How can I contribute more to others?
Setting Intentional Goals
Identify up to five key areas in which you’d like to grow. For each, consider:
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Commitment – Am I ready to make this change?
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Structure – How can I incorporate this priority into my daily life?
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Information – What resources, knowledge, or inspiration do I need to succeed?
Making These Years the Best Yet
Life is filled with new opportunities—fresh perspectives to embrace and new paths to explore. With a clear plan and an open mind, we can create a meaningful, balanced life that reflects our values and aspirations.
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So, what will your Life Balance Chart look like?
Let’s take the first step together and design a future filled with purpose, joy, and fulfilment.
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Acknowledgments and thanks to:
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N. Grunfeld, The Life Book
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B.K.S. Iyengar, The Tree of Yoga
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S, M & S Mehta, Yoga the Iyengar Way
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Let’s Work Together
We would love to hear your comments!
