How to begin caring for yourself

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
   Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”  Goethe

I love the freshness of a new year.  The feeling that so many possibilities lie wide open ahead.  The starting over, the energy, the resolutions.  But what happens when life feels so overwhelming that the idea of starting-a-new sends your head spinning in more directions than you can handle?  What if too many things are competing for your attention and priority? 

There are times in my life when taking care of myself feels just too big of a task to even start…I mean where do I start?  Should I focus on better nutrition and meal planning?, putting more time into painting for creative time?, recommitting energy toward my career?, losing weight, gaining muscle or becoming more flexible?   If you are anything like me, what happens in times like these is a big fat NOTHING.  I get paralized when too many things vie for my focused attention.

This exercise is perfect for new starts and stuck places. 

Do you have a desire to continue learning and intellectually growing?  Has it been a while since you’ve laughed?  Are you living on candy and caffeine to get you through the day? 

The very center, where all spokes come together, means completely UNSATISFIED and the edge of the circle means completely SATISFIED.  Now put a dot somewhere along the line for each element. 

Connect your dots and draw your current circle of life.  See where the greatest imbalances and needs are. This is where you start.  Think of some ways you can begin to shift and add into your days what you most need in your life right now. 

What elements would you add to your circle of life?– What areas are you most imbalanced in? Any creative ideas to start adding that element back into your life?