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Balancing Your Life 239

Family, Friends, Home, Garden, Holidays, Money, Health, Leisure,
Spiritual, and, of course, Learning and Development.

Stage 6: Reality intrudes

If things have gone well, this is the most enjoyable part of the
process as you realize just how much of your life you can take con-
trol of. Merely hearing yourself saying that you are going to stop
doing some things and start doing others is intoxicating stuff! We
found it helpful to rehearse some of the situations from which we
are trying to extricate ourselves using role play. It can be lots of fun.
One of the main skills you may need to develop as a couple
is the art of saying no without giving offense, especially when you
are tying to break certain patterns of behavior.

Stage 7: Committing to the plan

It is psychologically very important that you both actively engage
in making an agreed record of what you are planning to do.
Let your imagination run riot or do it very simply, whichever
you prefer. But do commit yourself in words and, possibly, in pic-
tures to what you are going to do next year.
It is helpful to enjoy revisiting your plan several times during
the year to see how things are going for you.