Here is an exercise to help you clarify.

Take a letter-size piece of paper and draw a large circle on it. To the right of the circle, write these words in a vertical list: family, career, grooming, sleep, exercise, driving, community, household, recreation, time alone...add any that are important to you. Now, beside each item, put the number of hours in an average week that you spend on it. When you are done, change those numbers into a percentage of your 168 hours/week. Now, to really make an impact, make a pie graph in the circle of the ways you spend your time.

If, by any chance, you simply read the above paragraph without doing the exercise, and are now reading this, STOP!

Nothing changes until you do. If you do not know how you spend your time, you will not receive the full benefit of the ideas in this article. It is not enough to be saying to yourself, "I know that I need more time for ______." If that is so this exercise will help you find it. Please, won't you go back and make the chart now? (This may be one of the ways you short-change yourself in your daily life. You may not give yourself time to do the good and beneficial things that you know would improve your life. Is that a pattern for you?)

Once you have your pie divided, ask yourself if the graph well represents the importance of each item to you at this time in your life. You may have to have quite a conversation with yourself to determine this. Remember, there are not any right answers...just right answers for you!

If you find that your graph fits your priorities, you will be experiencing contentment. If not, you may want to make some adjustments.

ALWAYS REMEMBER----WHAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO EXPANDS!

Hear her weekly on http://www.WSRadio.ws . Dr. Shaler is the creator of the Living Richly™ Programs. For further articles, free ezines, upcoming teleseminars and booking information, visit http://www.OptimizeLifeNow.com today! For permission to reprint this article, please contact Jane@OptimizeLifeNow.com