How are you doing? For real.

This year has been a wild ride—not just personally, but collectively. Political and economic instability, along with so much chaos in the world, takes a psychological toll. It can leave one distracted and discouraged.

If you’ve felt that way, give yourself grace. Self-compassion matters, especially in times like these.

As you reflect on the year so far, I encourage you to take stock of your whole life, not just your accomplishments.  One tool that can help is the Wheel of Life, which looks at eight areas that make up a full and meaningful life.

It’s important to give attention to the parts of life that nourish us deeply in all times like relationships, health, and spirituality.

Take a moment to reflect on each area. If it’s useful, give yourself a score from 1 to 10—where 1 means “I feel really unfulfilled” and 10 means “I couldn’t be better.”

Once you see where you are, choose one small action to move you closer to where you want to be.

Right now, I’m focused on tending to relationships by reaching out to connect with people in person. After working remotely for almost ten years and living alone, I’ve learned this area requires serious intention. While I’m an extrovert, I can still sometimes default to staying home reading, watching my favorite shows, or creating something. Then I look up and wonder why I feel isolated. 

Every year, I write a vision that guides my choices and keeps me steady. That vision becomes my compass across all areas of my life.

Here’s to moving into this next quarter with intention, self-compassion, and a sense of possibility.