Life Is Pie

Consider your life

as if it is a pie.

How do you slice it?

Near the end of my graduate studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, I went to a department cookout for faculty and students. I ate dinner with one of my favorite professors, Dr. Lorri Shepard. She asked about my plans for the future, and as she is known to do, she proposed a valuable thought experiment to help me think through my plan. She suggested I think of life as a pie and the many ways I could slice it.

I return to this metaphor whenever life feels too fast-paced and busy. It helps me to step back, reflect, and evaluate how much time I spend on various aspects of life such as career, health, family and friends, physical environment, money and resources, recreation, and personal growth. The pie chart above shows each aspect in complete balance. Is your life like this?

Mine’s not!

Your pie slices might have different names, but how much time do you spend on each aspect of your life every month compared to others? How do you proportion your time? Remember: as you increase the percentage of time you spend on one aspect of life, you have to decrease the time devoted to others, so, they add up to 100%.

Reflecting honestly on how we spend time reveals what we value. It helps us make more informed decisions about ensuring that each segment of our lives receives the attention it deserves.

Do you know someone who could benefit from this exercise? Share this blog with them.

Do you need help reflecting on how you slice your pie or realigning your distribution time with your values? Contact me at www.debrahollowayphd.com. I am excited to hear from you.