Satisfaction

What is satisfaction? It's that Good Thing, that prime experience we want out of life. And yet, it's a very personal, relative feeling, too. What satisfies us may make our best friend yawn. What pleases us on Monday may bring us to tears on Friday. And our satisfaction may change, depending on the event. Feelings of satisfaction may vary when we think about our favorite ice cream, our freshly waxed car, a job promotion, our children, or a terrific bargain on a new pair of shoes. Each one says satisfaction, but each one feels differently. Sometimes the feeling is pride and sometimes relief. Sometimes we feel powerful, or smug, or determined--or maybe just warm and cozy inside.

Feeling satisfied is a condition of being that we allow ourselves to have. But what happens when we are unwilling to allow ourselves to feel satisfied? Often, it's all too easy to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. If you've noticed this peculiar characteristic dogging your life, then examining this process will be a good opportunity for you to be more aware of your patterns of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

What do satisfaction and dissatisfaction look like to you? Are you getting enough of what you want? The following self-assessment process was developed to give you a chance to determine how and when you create satisfaction or dissatisfaction. To get full value from this exercise, take up your pencil and play along. Participate. The results may really surprise you.

1. Column A lists major Life Areas. Rank these in order of importance to you from 1 (most important) to 10 (least important).

COLUMN A:
Rank	LIFE AREAS
_____	1. Community/Political
_____	2. Family Life
_____	3. Finances
_____	4. Friendships
_____	5. Intellectual Developement
_____	6. Leisure Time Activities
_____	7. Love/Sex
_____	8. Physical Environment/Possessions
_____	9. Spiritual
_____	10. Work

2. Next, under Columns B and C, write five satisfactions and five dissatisfactions you've experienced in the last month or so. Be specific and honest with yourself. If you get stuck, refer to the Life Areas in Column A to jog your memory.

COLUMN B:
Satisfactions	Life Area Rank
1._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
2._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
3._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
4._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
5._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]

3. Now mark the appropriate Life Area from Column A in the box after each satisfaction and each dissatisfaction. For example, if you've listed "bought new sofa" under Satisfactions, this matches the Life Area called Physical Environment/Possessions, which you (may have) ranked #3 in importance. Put #3 in the box next to "bought new sofa;" continue until both columns are complete.

COLUMN C:
Dissatisfactions	Life Area Rank
1._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
2._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
3._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
4._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]
5._____________________________ _______________________________	[   ]

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