There is nothing better for clarity than examining the areas of your life! Love is in the air and on our minds more than ever in February. For some of us, we tend to think about romantic love, but there are so many more versions of love that are essential for a healthy, full life.
This week, in honor of our holiday of love, St. Valentine’s Day, I want to expand your thinking about love, and even prompt you to some new thoughts about love as your year continues to unfold.
In my coaching practice I work with clients with a foundation of clarity and happiness in 8 areas of life. Take a look at each areas I am listing here, along with the prompts and thoughts that go with each. Get your journal out and write your thoughts, actions, ideas down about each area- I will tell you at the end of this post what to do next.
Love in the family area of your life: Who do you love? What do you love about them? In the area of family, emotions can be mixed. Allow yourself to look at think through loving eyes and mind. How could you show your love more? What will you do, for whom and when? How good are you at receiving love from your family? How could you do even better?
Love in the health area of your life: What loving things do you do for yourself that make your healthy self stronger? What kinds of workouts and healthy foods do you like best? What stress relieving things do you do for yourself?
Love in the social area of your life: Who are the friends that you love? What do you love about them, and have you shared it with them? How do you show your love for them? How do they show their love for you?
Love in the business/career area of your life: What do you love about the work you do? Even if it seems hard to see, make yourself notice some things. What would you be doing that you would love even more if there were no obstacles? What could you do now to love what you are already do even more? Who do you appreciate at work?
Love in the spiritual area of your life: What fills you with a big feeling of love? What is your connection to a higher power? How do you connect to this metaphysical love on purpose? If you believe that there is a universal love that loves all of us, how does that make you feel? How do you tap into that love? (things like incredible art, nature, awe inspiring churches and ancient buildings, flowers- are some of the things that do this for me.)
Love in the financial area of your life: What do you love about your financial life? Habits, resources, knowledge? What could you love even more if you took some new actions? What would those actions be?
Love in the mental/intellectual area of your life: What do you love learning about? Reading? Listening to? How do you love to learn? How do you challenge yourself to expand your thinking and increase the health of your brain? Puzzles, games, books, trying new things, doing things that make your nervous?
Love in the community area of your life: What do you love about your communities? We usually have several in our lives- neighborhood, town or city, places we volunteer, work, groups we belong to, the gym, school, clubs? What are all the communities you belong to and name at least one thing you love about each? How could you show each community a little more love? What communities do you not feel loving toward and from? What do you want to do about that?
If you don’t love it, you can change it– you have the power to make changes in all of the areas of your life. It is amazing to look at how many things we do because of habit and doing this love audit can help you to rethink love in your life on so many levels.
Once you have written down all of your thoughts in each area, pull out your top three areas/things you would like to make changes with or expand your love in. Then start with making a list of all of the steps you could take with each. To get started, pick one step from one list and put it into your schedule to do in the next 24 hours- or do it right now! Show yourself some love by making the effort to create what you want more of in your life!