ENVIRONMENT

 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?  Can you list the reasons you chose this place?  How would you describe this place? What does it feel like to be living in this place?  Do you think that this is the ideal place for your perfect life?

 

Are you living there now?

 

You may have many reasons for living where you do:
* It's where you grew up,
* It's where the job was,
* Your family lives there or its close to a spouse's family, or
* It's where you were when you graduated from college.
But is this the ideal place for you to live now?

 

Recently, a physician told me that he was overstressed, out of control, and had to make some changes.  He said he could not take his lifestyle anymore.  He explained to me that ten years ago he had moved to a small, college town in the Northwest to start his obstetric practice.  He and his wife worked hard to build the practice to what it is today.  During that time they had three children.  In the last three years many of the independent practices in his area had been purchased by a large corporation and formed into one group.  He did not want to join the group so he decided to stay independent. 

 

The work schedule for a physician always includes being on-call for your patients.  This means being available 24-hours-a-day via an answering service.  When the group was formed, this physician added one physician to share call coverage with him.  For the past three years he has been on-call every other night.  Sometimes he does not get more than one or two of sleep before he starts his morning rounds and clinic patients.  The large group practice refuses to cover his call because he is not a member of their group.  There are more obstetricians per capita in the city than needed.  Now he is at the point where he must make a big change, or he will suffer complete exhaustion and jeopardize his entire practice.

 

This is not his ideal place.  He picked this city for all the right reasons.  However, the economics of the market have changed and now he must change as well.  There are several factors to consider when deciding where you will live.  Some of the key factors include your immediate family (if you have one), your age and your work life, your health, and your interests.

 

Life is a dynamic.  You must make choices throughout your entire life.
As you can see, over time the economy changed where this physician lived.  Honor what you think is best for you.  If you do not live where you are at your best, everyday, I suggest that you re-evaluate your situation based on a set of criteria that will help you determine what is best for you right now.

 

You may find out that you love where you live and you didn't even realize it.  You could discover that you hate where you live but have tolerated it because you thought it was necessary.  If you have family, make them a part of this choice.

 

How much do we do because it's not so bad after all?  Take the proactive stand and discover where you will be at your best.  This may take you two months, it may take you a year.  But if you will be happier somewhere else, then make the change.  This is another step toward the experience of joyful living.

 

THE WALK - ACTION TO TAKE

Let's make this a game.  You can play it by yourself if you are single or with your family.  Give it a name: My (Our) Perfect Place.  Everyone plays and contributes to finding out where is your (our) best place to live.

 

Start here:  Sit down with this outline and some paper.  List five times when you felt at your best.  Describe or put a name to your feelings.

 

Example: I feel really great when I ride my bike.  I feel like a free spirit.

 

Next to each one, describe how your surroundings contribute to your feelings.

 

Example: The sun is shining, the sky is blue, there is an endless clear road for me to ride on.

 

If you have young children, ask them to draw a picture of themselves having fun.  Ask them questions about the picture, what are they doing?  Are they indoors or outside?  Who is with them?

 

Step 2:  Make a list of your current activities.  Sort these according to how much good they contribute to your life.

 

Example: 

Swimming at the YMCA.
Skiing at Big Bear.
Seasons tickets to the basketball game.
Volunteering at the hospital women's league.

 

Step 3:  List your professional and volunteer skill sets.  Are you a physician, accountant, secretary, meteorologist?  Do you have hobbies that give you other skills, such as, programming a computer, finish carpentry, acting and writing.  Now sort these with the most fulfilling first.

 

Example: 

Physician, pianist, chef, teaching.

 

Step 4:  Determine the financial factors of your living situation.
List your normal expected monthly living expenses.  This would include your mortgage or rent, utilities, food, property taxes.  List your current income.

 

Example: 

Monthly Income, which equals $----- annually.
Monthly Expenses, which equals $ ----- annually.

 

Step 5:  Write down other factors that are important to you.  Sort these in order of what is most important first.

 

Example: 

Excellent elementary education system.
Close to a university.
City with an opera house.
Small town with less than 50,000 population.
Beach within walking distance.
Town with a volunteer center.

 

Now on a large sheet of butcher paper, draw a circle.  Divide the circle into thirds. 
In the first third write the top three items from steps 1 & 2. 

In the second third write the top three items from steps 3 & 4.
In the last third write the top four factors from step 5. 

This is your Top Ten List of My Perfect Place.

 

Outside the circle list any remaining factors that might be important in your decision.

 

From here you can start researching places that would match your top ten list.  You can do this easily on the internet, at the library or through a travel club or bookstore.

 

Have fun and live joyfully!

Leona@creativealchemist.com