The other day I tweeted twice that I had had the “perfect day.” At night, I settled into bed a bit early, feeling that satisfied feeling that one gets after a great meal or great sex. Indeed, it had been the perfect day.
But what made it perfect?
Suddenly I was intrigued. I reviewed the list of things I had done:
Spontaneously called up the gym and asked if they had a yoga class that day.
Took my first yoga class in years, and found it challenging, but definitely something I wanted to do again.
Came home and felt loose and relaxed.
Felt good that I had done something physical.
Meditated.
Took a little nap.
Planned a movie and dinner for later that evening with a friend.
Drove to a book store and interviewed someone for an upcoming article.
Spent time wandering the store.
Took an hour-long meditation class on balancing the masculine and feminine aspects of ourselves.
Heard that my friend was ill and would have to take a rain check on the movie.
Spontaneously ate dinner at the Panda Express across the road.
Reviewed my notes during dinner and thought about the article I wanted to write.
Drove home.
Cared for my pets.
Called my parents and my sister and had a nice talk with them.
Downloaded my bank statement into my financial software.
Read from Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire.
Looked up and learned a new word: hoyden (a boisterous, saucy woman).
Felt sleepy early (and a bit sore from the yoga class) and prepared for bed early.
Reviewed the day.
I then realized this was the perfect day because I had unconsciously assembled the ingredients for a perfect day by striking a balance by contributing something to every category (or “ingredient”) that is important to me.
Categories
mental
physical
spiritual
financial
social
home
Mental
This is learning and problem solving. Studying a foreign language or learning new vocabulary terms in your everyday reading would fall under Mental.
Physical
Basic cleanliness and hygiene as well as physical exercise. A yoga class, a morning jog, calisthenics—all physical.
Spiritual
Honoring the spiritual that brings you peace. This could be meditation, prayer, or reading sacred texts. This also involves activities that bring you closer to your dream life or career, things that bring you joy and make you feel “in flow” when you do them.
Financial
Managing your finances or doing activity that will ultimately lead to financial gain.
Social
Talking or getting together with family and friends, old and new.
Home
Caring for your surroundings and the animals you love.
Combining Ingredients
Some of your activities will overlap several categories. My ultimate dream is to be paid regularly and richly for my writing. Doing the interview for the article was rewarding mentally (I learned new things), spiritually (I knew during the interview that I was going toward my bliss, the career I wanted, and the topic was about spirituality), and financially (I knew that the article would be unpaid, but that it would serve as a wonderful clip to later supply a magazine).
The importance lies in touching each category daily and not spending an inordinate amount of time in any category. The ultimate goal should be balance and joy. Bringing a sense of playfulness (such as spontaneity) to your day will add to the joy.
The Final Result
Stephen Covey and others have created their own detailed systems for balance based on roles and such. While they certainly have a following of people who like “systems,” I find a simpler approach much more rewarding:
- Just touch each category every day.
- Keep a record of some kind to show what categories you have touched. I have described this as using various colors for each category in a date book. You could also use my secret code journaling method for balance.
The recipe for a perfect day requires refining just like the recipe for an award-winning pie. Balance the ingredients so all is in harmony. And don’t forget to enjoy the process along the way.
Photo credit Srboisvert.
Tags: balance
