All About Pie

I do not trust anyone who does not like pie, especially homemade pie. The smell of homemade apple pie—I mean, come on! Growing up, I loved cherry pie with tons of whipped cream. Tasting the warm sour cherries with the sweetness of whipped cream was the best! 

Pie Charts

But this blog post is not actually about pie, sorry to be a big tease. It is about balance. On my vision board is a pie chart. Having this chart shows me exactly how I spend the majority of my time and helps me recognize red flags. You can make one too. Draw a circle, and start filling it in like a pie chart. How much do you work out? Do you sleep enough or too much? Are your finances in order? Do you spend time taking care of your money, or are you just hoping for the best? Do you make time for your spiritual life through meditation, prayer, or a spiritual community? How about time to travel? Do you spend time alone or for self-care or reading? How about time spent with loved ones or volunteering? 

We spend a lot of time thinking this stuff in our heads—at least I know I do. I will say to myself, “I should volunteer this week.” And I have every intention of taking that action. But if I do not write it down or schedule it as part of my pie, the chances of actually doing any type of volunteer work go way down. 

Try It Out

We have great intentions. We want to better ourselves and our communities. But we become baffled at where the time goes and then wish we had more time. This becomes a vicious cycle. My solution for you is to stop, get out your pencil, and draw a circle. Have fun with this! Use crayons, make each section a different color, and draw the pie you are living on. Next, draw the pie how you would like it to be. For example, if you spend too much time on finances, take some of that time and add it to meditating. 

Doing this exercise doesn’t take a lot of time. Look at your schedule and be really honest. Are you skipping workouts? Not making calls to loved ones? Kicking yourself for not starting a class you have been wanting to take? When would be a good time to change all that? Now! 

Jump in—draw your pies and create a time management schedule. Write down everything you want to schedule, even the simplest things, because 90 percent of things that get written down get done. Here is the most fun part: at the end of the day, you can check off what you accomplished and move what did not get done to the next day. Most people start out a new year this way but within a few weeks in stop. Please, do not wait for another New Year’s Day. Start now. 

Write It Down!

I am old school and still carry a calendar book. I like writing everything down, not just to-do lists but everything. When I make appointments, I put all relative information in my calendar—the address, who I am meeting, and any pertinent notes about the meeting. Sometimes I doodle riff, write a quick journal entry. I need this book with me at all times. Funny how this works. For example, I stopped writing my yoga session in my book a few months ago, and guess what? Yep, I stopped doing my yoga session. The forgetfulness happens that fast! Writing it down makes it real. 

With your pie, you can find more balance, less stress, more consistency, and more relaxed time with loved ones. There are no rules for creating your pie. Have fun, and make sure you do this project in a peak state with lots of positive energy. This is your pie; add all the ingredients you like. Spice it up. Add toppings. 

Managing our time, creating balance, and designing the life we long for takes time and effort. Going with the flow is great if you are actually achieving all the balance you need to be fulfilled. But watch out for this spontaneity. Going with the flow and giving up control work great for travel or being in a new environment. But our lives need some crafting. It’s hard to be spontaneous when we have businesses to run, jobs to do, children to raise, and relationships to nurture. 

Put on your baker’s hat and start making your pie. Your balanced life will be so grateful!