I heard a podcaster say, “Show me a pie chart with the top five categories of how you spend your time and I’ll tell you what’s important to you.”
She then did a back of the napkin analysis of her cohost’s pie chart. It was a simple, highly effective exercise. Although he had professed for years to wanting to lose weight, get married, settle down and have children, his pie chart revealed something else.
Suddenly, all of this cohost’s complaints about his life became easily understandable. His professed wants don’t align with how he spends his time. I’m not judging his choices, it’s his life. But, as the pie chart illustrates, what is most important to him by far, is work.
This was so powerful, I decided to do it for myself. Here is my pie chart:
The only surprise for me was how much time I spend each day in Chores/Maintenance/Putzing Around. This is a catch-all category for me that includes shopping, cooking, cleaning, home repairs, vacuuming, laundry, errands, driving, etc. Still, it’s nearly 1/3 of my day.
There’s overlap between Fitness & Dogs and Chores & Dogs. I spend a lot of time with my dogs and include them in many of my activities. Clearly social activities, friends & family are no longer important to me. I’ve written about this many times.
When I was in high school my major pie pieces would have been: dating, friends, school, fitness and work.
When my step-kids lived with us for 10 years and during the next 19 years as empty nesters my pie chart would have been predominantly work and family, with smaller wedges for fitness and pets.
Unlike the podcast host, my current pie chart is aligned with my values and current priorities.
I’ve had many different chapters in life. Some, once closed, will never be revisited. The pie chart exercise re-emphasizes this.
I encourage you to try it for yourself.
If anything is out of alignment, it will be crystal clear.