In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of what’s truly important. It can feel overwhelming to think about everything you have going on in your life at once. We often get so consumed with work, family, and other obligations that we forget to take a step back and evaluate our lives as a whole. As the saying goes, “you can’t control what happens to you in life but you can control how you react to it.” The same concept applies to your career — there will always be challenges along the way, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll have more than enough opportunities to overcome them. This is where the Wheel of Life Exercise (from the Co-Active Coaching Institute) exercise comes in.
What is the Wheel of Life?
The Wheel of Life is a tool that helps you gain a bird’s eye view of your life. It’s a simple yet powerful visual representation of the different areas of your life. These areas typically include career, finances, relationships, health, and personal growth, among others.
The goal is to create balance in each area so that you have a well-rounded life. When you’re out of balance in one area, it will likely impact another area negatively. For example, if you’re not making enough money at work but still want to travel or buy something for yourself, chances are you’ll need to cut back somewhere else in your budget (or take on more debt).
The wheel can be used as a self-assessment to determine where you are in each area of your life and where you want to go. By creating your own wheel, you’ll be able to see what areas need more attention and focus. The wheel will also help you make decisions about how much time you should devote to each area so that they all get equal attention.
How to use the Wheel of Life
To use the Wheel of Life, start by drawing a circle and dividing it into sections to represent each area of your life. Next, rate your satisfaction in each area on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being completely dissatisfied and 10 being completely satisfied. Once you have rated each area, connect the dots to see the shape of your wheel.
If all six areas are rated similarly low, chances are you’re not happy with where things are currently at in your life — and that’s okay! It’s okay not to be happy all the time!
For example, if each area is rated at 7 or 8 out of 10, then it’s likely that you have a good life balance going on right now but there may be some room for improvement in certain areas (i.e., maybe your personal health isn’t where you’d like it to be).
What does the shape of your wheel tell you?
The shape of your wheel provides valuable insights into the balance of your life. A well-balanced wheel will be round, with each section rated similarly. However, if your wheel is lopsided, it indicates an imbalance in your life. For example, if your career section is rated a 10, but your personal growth section is rated a 1, it’s a sign that you may be neglecting your personal growth.
It may also mean that there are some areas in which you’re not receiving the attention they deserve. For example, if you love to exercise every day but don’t have much time for it because you spend all day at work and then go home to care for children or other family members, then it’s likely that this part of your life needs some extra special attention.
When we look at the entire picture, we can see how everything connects together to create our lives – our health, relationships, finances, spirituality and more. This understanding gives us power over our destiny because we know what’s working and what isn’t in our lives.
What to do with your Wheel of Life
After taking the Wheel of Life assessment, you may have been surprised by some of the results. The Wheel of Life is a great way to get a holistic view of your life and identify areas that need improvement.
What happens after you take the assessment? Should you just leave it at that?
Once you have identified the areas of your life that need the most attention, you can begin to prioritize your goals accordingly. This may mean setting new goals or making changes to your current routines to ensure that you are giving equal attention to each area of your life.
- If you find that you spend most of your time at work and don’t have enough energy or time left over for other areas of your life, it may be time to make some adjustments. Perhaps you need to schedule more breaks during the day so that you can take some time for yourself and recharge. Or perhaps there is something else that needs more attention in order to give yourself more balance between all of these different areas.
- If you scored low in the self-care category, it might be time for a spa day with friends or family. If relationships are lacking, schedule a date night with your significant other or plan an outing with friends who live near by. And if work is too busy, try making time for exercise during lunch breaks or set aside some evenings during the week to do something fun after work (like playing board games!).
- If you are feeling overwhelmed by work or school responsibilities, but find yourself unable to make time for exercise or socializing due to a lack of energy, then one solution might be to start prioritizing rest over other activities until you feel more rested and able to handle both work and play demands.
- If work is preventing you from spending enough time with family members or friends, then it may be time for an honest conversation with your boss about scheduling options (or look into telecommuting options).
Conclusion
When you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, it’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of your life and overlook the positive. This exercise helps you identify what’s going right in your life and find ways to improve upon it. It also gives you a point of reference for determining what areas can use some attention. By looking at all areas of your life, you’ll be able to prioritize your goals and make decisions that are in line with what is important to you.
The Wheel of Life exercise is a great way to gain self-awareness and identify areas of your life that may need more attention. By taking the time to evaluate your life as a whole, you can prioritize your goals and ensure that you are living a well-balanced life. Don’t wait for an organizational audit to realize that there are underlying issues in your life. Take control and use the Wheel of Life to gain a bird’s eye view of your life today!
Time to Commit
- After completing the Wheel of Life exercise, what are some specific changes you plan to make in order to improve your life balance?
- How often do you think it’s important to repeat the Wheel of Life exercise in order to maintain a well-balanced life?
