Archive for the ‘Self Improvement’ Category
Worship As a Lifestyle
You are not worshiping right in any place until you are worshiping God right in every place.
~A.W. Tozer.
It’s a worn cliche I’m sure. Worship is a lifestyle. It’s a pity though that it is a cliche because there’s almost certainly no finer truth known regarding humankind’s relationship with God. The quote of Dr. Tozer’s is quite a powerfully constructed statement. To worship right we must:
1. Worship God;
2. Do No. 1 correctly;
3. Do it in every place.
Perhaps the reason Worship is a lifestyle is so cliché is it’s so profound, yet it can so easily be said–flippantly, many times–without the repentance of heart (circumcision of heart) to commit to the deed of actually working it out in real terms. And the fact is it’s a wish for all of us on a level almost impossible to attain. We’re, after all, stuck at the heart with the dreaded ‘fall curse,’ alive in our sin–even if we’re reconciled to Christ, though he sanctifies us through and through, each growing day.
It shouldn’t depress us to learn this, for if Paul had trouble with sin (Romans 7:14-17), we will most certainly have problems too. Still, sin interrupts worship. And yet again the fact of Dr. Tozer’s quote should simply drive us on toward the aspiration of worship. It centralises us to the scope of God and God alone; everything else as a driving focus is shut out. Everything of life: God. God… in, over, through, under and around… everything.
At times I’ve been criticised, even by Christians, for being over-zealous for God; so is that “worship?” The purest sense of worship hardly puts anyone off (most of the time)–it thrills them with the very light of Christ–glory is due Jesus and the Father though us. It inspires because of its purity and selflessness. And yet, there will be times when God is perfectly worshipped and people are made upset!
The worship of God, in alignment with Dr. Tozer’s quote, has got to be about ‘expressing our praise and devotion,’ and ascribing worthiness to God alone, not the least of which for his saving us, by living the purest version of his truth and his grace that we can; a daily, moment-by-moment commitment to love–girded by truth, wisdom, grace and much fruit of the Spirit.
By: Steve Wickham
Create Your Ideal Lifestyle
Lifestyle reflects our beliefs, attitudes, customs, behaviors, and values. A lifestyle can fill us with joy, keep us healthy, and allow us to become more successful. It can also contribute to illness or hold us back from the things we are capable of accomplishing.
Fortunately, we can choose actions and habits that keep us happy, healthy, and successful. We have that choice daily.
Maltbie Babcock summarized this very elegantly when she wrote, “A day dawns, quite like other days; in it, a single hour comes, quite like other hours; but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces us.”
That chance, however, presents a challenge. A familiar lifestyle is not easy to leave behind, even when negative habits or tolerations make it uncomfortable. Doug Firebaugh wisely said, “Something must die in order to grow – your old habits, your old self image, your old thinking, your old life… must be weeded out for the seeds of success to grow.”
People want to be free from the consequences of their vices, but not necessarily from their vices. Many attempt changes that are too large to be realistic. Others try to change too many things at once. Old behaviors creep back very quickly.
For example, if it would burden you to carry out a new action on a regular basis, it is probably not a realistic change. Smaller changes carried out regularly more often lead to lasting change. Begin with one new action that can become a regular lifestyle behavior. Then look for tangible results from that change.
If you are not already living your ideal lifestyle, take time to think deeply about the following questions. Then write your answers in a journal. This exercise will help you create a clear picture of your ideal lifestyle. It will also help you to design a plan to begin creating the lifestyle that you want.
What is my current lifestyle?
How have my beliefs created that lifestyle?
What is my current lifestyle costing me?
If my lifestyle were to become ideal, what differences would I notice immediately in the major areas of my life?
For example, what would you be doing differently on a daily basis? What habits would you adopt, and what habits would you discard? Consider the changes you would notice in these areas:
Relationships (Family and Career) Home environment Wellness and self-care Energy level Serenity and inner stillness Finances Rest and relaxation Temperament Happiness and contentment
How would I look and feel most of the time if I lived my ideal lifestyle?
What tolerations, habits of thought, and actions are limiting me from living my ideal lifestyle?
What would it require of me to remove those limitations?
What is the first thing in my current lifestyle that I would truly like to change or improve?
Am I willing to commit to the necessary changes in thought and action to live my ideal lifestyle, and if so, when will I begin to make the first change?
How will I feel when I have adopted new habits of thought and action?
What is one positive change I could comfortably make today?
This exercise will open your mind to the possibilities and options available to you for positive change. When you have a clear picture of your goal and the changes needed, you can begin moving forward toward a lifestyle that will bring you more success in all the important areas of your life.
These questions might lead to additional questions you will need to answer. You will need to evaluate your progress on a regular basis, make changes in your initial plan, and adjust your actions accordingly. A professional life strategies coach can also help you to expand these questions to a deeper level, find necessary answers, and design a plan to achieve the lifestyle you want.
Envision your ideal lifestyle. Determine necessary changes, and design a realistic plan to achieve your vision. Then make at least one small change in your thoughts and actions immediately. These suggestions will help you begin moving toward your ideal lifestyle today.
By: Steve Brunkhorst
Improving Your Lifestyle is Possible!
Sadly, not everybody was born with the social talents wanted to operate smoothly among folk you are uncomfortable around. Not everybody was born that assured person waltzing into a room and sweeping everybody off their feet with their perfect social talents. For the remainder of us, us introverted and frightened folk, there’s help. Getting more successful at socializing isn’t an impossible job. It really isn’t even hard. All that it takes is the eagerness to get out there away from the corner of the room and have a little confidence. When making an attempt to become more socially savvy, the very first thing you need to do is find out about which eventualities make you nervous! Discover what it is that people do that makes you so nervous. Knowing what triggers nervousness and the way to act differently is vital.
Next, you must recognize that everybody makes boo-boos and bad choices often, and resolve to be true to yourself. Don’t be so frightened the others may criticise your comment that you never make it. You want for people to listen with what you are trying to say, and if you draw comments from it, so be it. Your actions talk louder than your words.
In this situation your subconscious movements and other non-verbal communication need to get corrected to emanate confidence and contentment. When you are appearing positive it can really help with a lot of situations including body movement. When we get nervous, we have a tendency to shout out answers. These answers are the very first thing on our scared minds, meaning it isn’t awfully thought out. A crucial thing to learn is to decelerate. Someone in a dialogue with you would rather you give them good, earnest answer than something spat out exclusively for time sake. Being twitchy is comprehensible when interacting with new folks. But a chat does not need to go fast. Let the person know you are thinking by seeming to think. Don’t stare blankly right before throwing out a solution.
Taking time to actually think out an answer that represents your thought process and intention makes sure that you are really responding to the person’s query and maintaining the conversation rationally. In no fashion is shaping up your social talents an overnight attainment. To become successful in social situations, you need to practice by putting yourself in social eventualities. Practice these tips confidently and talk your consciousness to become more relaxed. Learning good social abilities can be good for relations, families, careers, and life.
By: E Knouse
Motivation For A Healthy Lifestyle, How To Get It And Keep It – Step One
How many times have you said to yourself that now is the time you’ll start exercising and eating healthy only to be disappointed a short time later when you are back to your old habits? There is a way to make these changes from the inside out. How do you get started? Follow these steps:
* To begin any change, you need to have that spark of motivation. Ask yourself why you want to make these changes. Is there a health concern? Have you just put on your “bigger” clothes and even they are tight? Do you feel bad about yourself?
* Write down a sentence in the present tense that describes what you DO want. What is your intention? Write as if it is already happening; for example, “I feel healthy and strong” or “I feel good about and comfortable in my body” or “I love myself.”
* Say this sentence out loud, close you eyes, and picture an image that goes with the sentence. What does the sentence “I love myself” look like in your imagination? Notice how you look, feel, and sound in the image. Congratulations! What you have just created is an exercise for beginning your changes from the inside out.
* Every morning and evening for the next 21 days, spend 1-3 minutes doing your exercise. Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight, and say your sentence out loud; at the same time, see the image. Then get up and go about your day. Do the same exercise at night just before you go to bed.
* Additional hints: If you notice yourself wearing a specific color in the image that goes with your intention, then that is your clue to wear or keep that color around you. The color will help you remember the connection to your motivation and inspiration. The image will give you clues from your inner wisdom. Making these clues concrete by wearing similar clothes, colors, or hair style will help to make that inner thought and image true here in your everyday life. Pay attention to the details, and then you can make them tangible.
This exercise will open you to the inspirations and connections that will motivate you inside. This “opening up” will lead to choices that move you in the direction you want to go. You will make choices that support the sentence “I love my body” or “I am healthy and strong.”
It takes 21 days to create a new habit. Practicing this exercise for the 21 days will set the new habits in place.
By: Debra Goldman
How to Live a Healthy Lifestyle
With the increase in cancer rates and obesity and ever growing knowledge of trans fats, saturated fats, carcinogens, whole foods, organic, and a list of other buzz words, many people are now asking themselves How can I live a Healthy Lifestyle? While each person may have their own definition, a healthy lifestyle should lie in Balance. Balance in all aspects of life, food, hobbies, business, family, education, and everywhere else.
To help those who are genuinely looking to make changes in their life, for themselves and family, Sabaidi Health has put together a list of steps to show how you can begin a journey down a path that leads to a healthy lifestyle.
Step 1: Headlines
Sit down, by yourself, with a friend, spouse, relative, or whomever you plan on sharing this path with, and honestly look at your life. Make a list of different Headlines that fill your life; i.e. Eating, Exercise, Work, Family, Finance, etc. Some headlines may not be there, but you would like them to, such as Education, Travel.
Step 2: Step 1
A confusing heading perhaps, but first things first, and that is a first step. You can not begin somewhere you’re not, so you have to first figure out where you are starting from. With each of your headlines, figure our where you are; for instance:
Family: Spend a couple hours with wife and kids when I get home from work. We usually watch TV. Take kids to soccer games on the weekend.
Eating: coffee for breakfast, fast food 3 times a week, microwaved food 2 times a week, lot of fruit, home cooked meal on weekends, too many potato chips
Step 3: Analyze
Look at your list. Look at your headlines and descriptions and see where you are. Think about where you want to be, and figure out how to get there. For the example above,
Changes:
Family: I would like to spend more “Quality Time” with my family. Maybe play a board game or play outdoor game like Wiffle Ball or Badminton with them. Maybe on the weekends, or when I get home instead of TV.
Eating:Eat something for breakfast (will help to boost metabolism, and give me more energy)
Try to cut down on Fast food to once a week, or switch to a healthier fast food options (Subway)
Fruit – GOOD
Try to eat more Home Cooked meals (don’t really have the time, but maybe I can cook more than I need on the weekends and microwave the left overs during the week)
Step 4: Just Do It
More times than not, simply not doing things is our biggest enemy. Excuses are easy to find. Its not hard to live a healthy lifestyle, you just have to do it. Be serious about it, for yourself, and your family. Each change you make in your life will benefit You as a person; your Health and General Well Being.
As I said before, its about Balance. Start slow, but start. Its not a matter of cutting out all snack foods, running marathons, and needing to be a millionaire, its about making adjustments in your life to increase your overall well being.
By: David Giusti
Ways To Improve Your Lifestyle
Are you looking at ways to improve your lifestyle? Are you bored in your current role of employment? Do you think you could be achieving a lot more than you are at the moment? Are you seeking a new challenge? In this article, I give advice on how people can go about improving their lifestyle, this advice is based from my own personal experiences.
I believe that we should always be looking into ways of expanding our knowledge and should never just accept second best. The brain is very powerful and loves to be set a new challenge or to a learn a new task. It is what keeps it alive and ticking over. I am sure that we have all heard of the phrase, I think this job is making me brain dead. This is where someone has a role in employment that is not challenging them or their brain, and this can lead them into a state of boredom and even depression. Their mind and brains are desperate for something to get to grips with and something to test them.
I am always looking into finding new areas of life which I can learn about. Just recently I have been attempting to educate myself on the ins and outs of website promotion. This is something which is of great interest to me and I wanted to find out about how you can increase the amount of visitors you have to a website. I have spent a great deal of time studying this area and even though I feel that I have learnt a great deal, I would love to know a lot more. What I like about website promotion and website marketing is that the search engines are constantly changing their ideas of how best to rank a site, as they are fighting a constant battle against spam. This certainly keeps me on my toes. One thing I have learnt in this and other fields is that hard work pays off and if you attempt to defraud the search engines you are more than likely going to be found out. That is a good thing in my opinion.
I also like to help out people on a voluntary basis. This is something I would advise other people to do if they have the spare time as it can give you a real buzz knowing that you are helping somebody and it also keeps you busy. A lot of people who have too much time on their hands can easily find themselves becoming restless and this can lead them into thinking too much. These thoughts are normally worrying about something or other which of course is not very healthy or productive.
The people I help out on a voluntary basis are my parents who run a form of animal sanctuary from their home. My parents are both in the sixties and struggle to look after the many animals that live with them. I normally spend around twenty hours a week at their house, cleaning out and feeding the fifty rabbits, walking the dogs and feeding the cats. It is not exactly the most interesting of things to do, but I know that it is helping take some of the burden away from my mother and father.
In the past I have also attended evening study classes. This again is where I am trying to improve my knowledge and is something of course that I can include on my c.v. It is also a great way of meeting new people which is something I like to do.
In conclusion there are many ways in which we can become happier and more contented. Our life does not have to be boring and mundane, there is always options out there of how we can go about improving our lifestyle. Good luck.
By: Steve Hill
Lifestyle Enhancement For Healthy Living
Lifestyle enhancement for healthy living is something which modern medicine would preferably focus more on. It is true that procedures to restrain the symptoms of ailments and diseases bring the medical fraternity more money. However, it can’t be denied that prevention in the form of gradual lifestyle changes can contribute to a more immune, happy, and energetic individual.
Programs to Motivate You towards a Positive Change
Different people view lifestyle improvement in different ways – imagine the difference of view between an affluent person and an impoverished one. It is common knowledge that healthy living makes you a healthy individual and prolongs your life, but not many of us have the motivation to make that change. This is where lifestyle enhancement programs handled by experts in the field help. They provide the necessary support and boosting to push the individual towards positive, lasting changes.
Certain aspects like reaching the ideal body weight, making healthy and smart food choices, independence from medication, and physical and emotional fitness are common features of lifestyle enhancement programs. Holistic and simple meal plans, spirituality, the management of food allergies, and having food in public places are other aspects that might be covered. Pursuers of the program benefit from personal sessions, and email and phone support. They learn practices for relaxation and meditation, and possibly may get to participate in private workshops and free monthly seminars.
Undoubtedly Worth the Effort
It is not just older adults who can benefit from these programs; stressed-out individuals, and bosses wanting to rejuvenate their under performing employees are others who stand to gain from these programs. It is a great feeling to successfully complete the program, to feel a better sense of well-being, to bask in increased vitality, and get greater pleasure from life and the consumption of food. Yes, lifestyle enhancement for healthy living is definitely worth the effort.
By: Igor Stiler
Drawing Towards Your Ideal Lifestyle
I once had a teacher who, on the first day of class of a new school year, directed all of the students to take out a piece of paper and draw a pig. After exchanging a few puzzled looks, we began sketching.
Some drew pigs with large bodies, and placed them in the middle of the page. Others drew pigs with small bodies, and placed them at the top of the page. Some students’ pigs were detailed; featuring eyes that sparkled, tails that curled, and feet that pointed. Other students’ pigs were simple; featuring little more than a circular head on top of an oval body.
When all had finished, the teacher pulled out his own piece of paper and began to read from it. “If you placed your pig towards the top of the paper,” he said, “you are a positive and optimistic person. If you placed your pig towards the middle, you are a realist. If you placed your pig towards the bottom, you are pessimistic, and are apt to behave negatively.” He continued reading. “If your pig features many details, you are analytical, cautious, and distrustful. If your pig features few details, you are emotional, naive, and are apt to take risks.” And so he read, until the personality traits of every student in the room were revealed.
Though this exercise might not have been the most accurate personality test ever developed, the memory of it made be wonder if a similar test could be applied towards the discovery of an ideal lifestyle (whatever that may mean personally to you). After all, if nothing else, the “pig personality test” reveals one ultimate truth: every human being will approach a specific task in a unique manner. Likewise, every person must discover their ideal lifestyle in their own way. I hope this article will serve as a guide for experiencing life in a way that is congruent with your distinct personality.
Before you read any further, I want you to call your “inner artist” to action. Take out a piece of paper (or open up Microsoft Paint) and draw a picture of a house. Once you’re done, you may continue reading.
This drawing will serve as a metaphor for your ideal lifestyle, with each detail being a reflection of how you should life your life. It contains 4 elements that can be applied to the realization of your dreams: order, direction, repetition and detail.
Order
When you began to draw the house, did you start by outlining its shape (the walls)? If so, this reveals that every important action in your life must first begin with an overarching objective in mind. After forming the house’s walls, everything from that point forward must have been adapted to fit them. For example, the door couldn’t have been made too large, and there needed to be a certain number of windows to fill the empty space.
Applying this to life, let’s assume that your goal is to save X amount of dollars by the end of this year. At the start of the challenge, you don’t need (or even want) to know how to accomplish this task. Yet, you will quickly find ways to modify your lifestyle (just as you modified the size of your doors and windows) to save money and thus meet your objective.
Summary: You should have a broad goal in mind, and then figure out what steps you need to take to accomplish it.
On the other hand, did you begin by drawing the house’s details (windows, doors, etc.)? If so, this means that you are most comfortable taking the skills and characteristics that you already possess and applying them to a larger goal. For example, let’s assume that you are looking for extra income, are good at math, and love kids. You can take those personal characteristics and decide, perhaps, that you should tutor children. Otherwise, if you pursue a larger goal that may be currently out of reach, you may feel overwhelmed and thus unsatisfied.
Summary: You should assess your current skill set, and then figure out which broader goal is attainable.
Direction
According to universally accepted principles of design, all lines have direction: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal suggests calmness, stability and tranquility. Vertical gives a feeling of balance, formality and alertness. Is your house tall, or is it short?
If your house is tall, you should strive to approach life in a balanced manner. On some days, you may want to hit the overdrive button and approach tasks with incredible enthusiasm. On other days, you may want to lounge on the sofa and watch repeats of old TV shows. This isn’t laziness. Rather, it’s all part of maintaining balance in your life.
Summary: Approach life in a balanced manner.
If your house is short, you should promote stability in your life. Work on getting into a daily routine that allows you to approach tasks in a calm manner; never feeling overwhelmed. Every day, try to set aside a short span of time to relax — watch the sunset, read a book, meditate, pray, exercise, etc.
Summary: Promote stability and tranquility. Set aside time to relax.
Repetition
Does your house utilize the same exact shape for the door(s) as it does for the windows? Is your house composed simply of larger and smaller squares? If so, you are comfortable with repetition. As such, you should embrace routine. Just because a close acquaintance has a wide variety of hobbies doesn’t mean that you should be ashamed because you only enjoy one or two activities. Establish a routine in which you practice what you love, and you will achieve happiness.
Summary: Establish a daily routine.
On the other hand, repetition without variation can become monotonous for some. If your house features a variety of unique shapes, then you should feel free to embrace change in your life. Perhaps the “normal” 9-5 job is not for you. Allow yourself to indulge in [almost] anything your heart desires, and you will find satisfaction.
Summary: Embrace change in your life.
Detail
Does your house feature numerous details (window panes, shutters, lawn, chimney, etc.)? If so, this means that you are not afraid of conquering a large list of tasks in order to accomplish an overarching objective. If you seek to accomplish a goal, you would be best served by creating a list of to-do’s, or “next actions.” You will be most comfortable following this list with precision and working your way towards your objective.
Summary: Establish a list of “next actions” to accomplish a goal.
If your house is relatively barren, then you should try to take a few mini tasks (“next actions”) and make them into a “mini goal.” That way, you can take on several mini goals while trying to achieve the ultimate objective, rather than trying to approach dozens of tasks at once. You might be doing the same thing in the end, but it will seem much more organized and thus decrease your anxiety.
Summary: Create “mini goals” to organize an overwhelming list of tasks
Conclusion
The “ideal lifestyle” is a subjective term that is unique to each person’s individual personality. Some may envision themselves relaxing on a beach in South America; while others may find happiness climbing the corporate ladder; while still others dream about finding their “special someone” and starting a family. It’s clear to me that my definition of the “perfect” life is likely far different than yours. So, if you only remember one thing from this article, remember this:
The “ideal lifestyle” is NOT “one size fits all.” To find true happiness, discover the lifestyle that most appeals to your unique personality. Do not allow your life to be dictated by another person’s ideals. Instead, experience life in a way that is congruent with YOUR distinct personality.
By: Bryan Esposito
Holistic Life Style – Key to a Stress Free Life
The new age writer and thinker thrives on the word “Holistic’. Some times we all wondered about the meaning of ‘holistic’. ‘Holistic and holism’ many a times get lost between -fad and fraud , and between -pop and pseudo.
First, the dictionary meaning “the theory that whole entities, as fundamental components of reality, have an existence other than as the mere sum of their parts.” Hippocrates, the father of medicine is known to be the first to apply the principle of ‘Holism’ meaning that mind and body are parts of an integral system. However, the holists lost out to the dualists during the reformation period. Rene Descartes propounded the principle of ‘Dualist’, meaning that the mind and body are separate and though they interact they are independent of each other. Holism later returned with the progress of science as the relationship between the mind and body was firmly established.
The systems theory – ‘all interrelated and interdependent elements of a system form an unified whole’ later expanded holism to include spiritualism, family, society, community and all other interacting elements. In an ordinary sense and in day to day life ‘holistic health’ is the most common use of the word, as in Yoga, Ayurveda and Biopsychosocial medical models of optimum health.
While the concept of Holism is relatively new in Western philosophy, Eastern philosophy has always advocated that dualism is the cause of most confusion and stress in human life. It prescribes adoption of Holism as the way for life for achieving our truest potential in all areas of life.
In the Bhagwad Geeta, Krishna struggled to explain non-duality (Holism) to the about to run away warrior prince Arjuna by focusing on the difference between object and subject. Do we always see what we see, and is what we see the reality? According to Vedantic theory an object is not perceived by the sense organs, but through them. Without the subject there is no object. Therefore we see the same thing as different at different times. This being so, the subject and object are one. They can be either real or un-real. Real being, that which always remains the same, in the past, present and future. Unreal, is what we believe to be existing, but which neither existed in the past, nor will exist in the future. A dream or an imagination is unreal, but the person dreaming or imagining is real.
According to the Buddha, the subject and object work together to manifest consciousness. There cannot be an object without a subject or a subject without an object. When the subject sees a mountain and then moves on, the memory of the mountain does not create a mountain everywhere. The subject has to see the mountain again to be able to perceive it. Similarly the mountain, when not seen by the perceiver is just what it is – a lump of earth, stones, grass, forest – but it i snot a mountain. Only the perceiver gives it the name and shape of a mountain.
In a practical sense, for our day to day living, I consider the following to be holistic:
- Integration of mind (acquire knowledge) body ( exercise, yoga) and soul (spirituality and meditation) as an unified whole – through self-awareness.
- A collaborative, co-operative, interdependent lifestyle as opposed to a conflicting, individualistic lifestyle – an attitude of compassion, trust and win-win for all. Seek to understand before wishing to be understood.
- Integration of the individual with the environment, in a manner that fosters the growth and development of both – respect the natural laws.
- Positive growth of the individual without an end state of existence, in the areas of self-awareness, self-esteem, self-acceptance, self-assertiveness, choice, responsibility, consciousness, personal integrity, intuition, values, virtues. A state of being, along with doing.
- Developing signature strengths and dealing with insecurities – positive psychology for growth.
- Positive contribution of an individual to the growth and development of community and society as an integral and interdependent system – giving as an attitude.
- Body beautiful nourished by balanced diet, nutrition, exercise and upkeep – body as a temple of God.
- Balancing career, money, health, friends and family, love and romance, personal growth, fun and recreation, philanthropy and the physical environment – a part of an interdependent system and not just a cog in the wheel.
- Managing time and stress – affirm joy and happiness.
Living joyously means living a holistic life by integrating everything. Ask thus, is a flower only a flower. Will there be a flower, if there was not a plant. Will there be a plant if there is no soil, worms, insects, water, sun, bees, butterflies and host of other things. So what is the flower? Moving from a fragmented separatist existence of things as they are to a holistic everything is one thing and one thing is everything makes our life full of meaning and reduces the ill effects of stress, anxiety and the negative emotions.
By: Sanjay Behuria
Addiction and Recovery – The Continuing Recovery Lifestyle Worksheet
A patient recently pointed out to me that most of the workbooks and worksheets that they find for addiction recovery is geared toward the very beginning of recovery. This patient was looking for an exercise that could help him advance further in his ongoing recovery. This is what I came up with and am happy to share with you.
Continuing Recovery Lifestyle Worksheet
You have been working on the first steps and have looked at the damage in all major areas of your life. You have been clean and sober for awhile now. You feel better physically and emotionally. Your life is changing for the better. Use this worksheet to assess where your progress and areas needing work. This self-assessment will help you to identify your strengths and areas needing work for your continuing growth in recovery. Apply the following questions to each of the major life areas below. Use separate paper to assess yourself and write about how you are doing on each item.
Questions:
1. How is your recovery and abstinence from alcohol and other drugs affecting these areas in your life currently?
2. What changes have you noticed in these areas?
3. What changes have others noticed?
4. Which areas need focus and more work?
5. What kinds of changes do you want to make?
1. Partner/spouse relationship
a. the level of emotionality you experience with your spouse/partner.
b. how you deal with emotions and conflicts with your spouse/partner.
c. the level of contribution that you make to the relationship or the family.
l. chores
2. finances
3. fun/entertainment/joy
d. your ability to be supportive of your spouse/partner
e. your ability to sometimes put others’ needs ahead of yours
f. your patience and tolerance over annoyances
g. romantic gestures/activities, dates, and showing of affection
2. Money and finances
a. the level of responsibility or follow-through in financial goals
b. being proactive in making decisions about how money is spent and planning ahead c. consulting with spouse/partner and working as a team financially d. making financial amends
3. Balancing recovery, home, work, and other priorities
a. maintaining structure or a schedule that assists with prioritizing, stress management, and goals
b. practicing assertiveness and being able to say “no” to requests that would lead to imbalance or more unmanaged stress.
c. consulting with spouse/partner about conflicting demands and problem solving priorities together
d. communicating your needs and being responsible for your recovery. Work responsibilities a. maintaining positive, healthy attitude about work b. managing stress as it occurs and replacing worry with pro-active problem solving
4. Job performance
a. positive relationships with co-workers and boss.
b. willingness to hear and consider feedback.
c. dependability, punctuality, and focus
5. Friendships and other relationships
a. willingness to spend time with in-laws and other relatives
b. making amends to family members
c. dealing with conflicts as they occur in a healthy manner
d. communicating your needs. e. taking others’ feelings into account.
f. practicing patience and tolerance of others.
6. Spirituality
a. maintaining a helpful connection to spiritual advisors
b. maintaining helpful routines
c. applying an attitude of gratitude to your life
d. being of service to others.
By: Peggy Ferguson
