You might not always feel totally, completely, perfect in balance, and that’s okay.
Think of your life as a bunch of buckets; a hundred different spots to put your focus, attention and time. Sometimes, we’ll find ourselves naturally putting more into one bucket, whether it’s one that brings the most joy or one that drives us forward toward our goals. You might wish you had more time to pour into another bucket, and a new bucket might arise when you least expect it. The goal is not to have every facet of your life be equal in time spent, but to find a balance that works for you.
Use this Retreat Ritual to reflect on what your buckets look like right now, to identify where you’re putting your time, and to readjust your focus to what matters most.
Feelings: Feel balanced, feel inspired.
Time required: Maybe 10 minutes, maybe 1 hour; follow your feelings.
What you’ll need: A pen and paper, to answer the questions below.
Instructions:
- Find somewhere comfortable and undisturbed to sit. Curate a creative space where you can complete the activity with freedom to roam; maybe your artistic side will arise as you go.
- Pop on a playlist or grab a snack plate. Settle in and get crafty with the questions below. What does the visual representation of this activity look like to you? Use words, doodles or drawings, whatever the answers may look like to you. Reflect, breathe, enjoy this time to focus on you.
Activity:
1. Create a list (or drawing) of as many buckets as you can think of. Where do you spend your time, and what do you dedicate mental space to? Whether it’s five minutes a year or five hours a day, everything you do counts. Some ideas to get you started:- Spending time with family
- Cooking nourishing meals
- Being creative
- Alone time
- Working hard with focus
- Planning for the future
- Down time with a quiet mind
- Driving between places
- Tackling household chores
- Catching up with friends
- Mindlessly scrolling
- Self care sessions
- … and the list goes on.
2. Find a way to tally where you spend your time and mental effort. It might be percentages placed in each category, or your own way to demonstrate the weight of each bucket. Either way, bring this representation to life by ‘filling’ each bucket as it appears in your real life.
3. Time to reflect. How does this current balance feel to you? When you look at it with this birds-eye view, do you feel happy and proud? Which buckets need more attention; which need less? Which ones matter most to you?
4. Carry this self-reflection forward in your everyday life; make the changes you want to see, and be more present and mindful in how you spend your time. Sometimes, life can be as simple as filling the buckets you want to fill; aim to be more intentional with which ones you choose.