Before you start any type of self-development program, or even if you just want to assess what are your levels of satisfaction in your life, this tool will help you to have a better view of all the relevant areas.
The wheel of life is a tool that many coaches use for clients when they start a coaching program. And there’s no better way to start working on yourself than starting to know yourself. This can give you a pretty accurate understanding on which areas in your life need more attention.
The wheel of life
A life wheel is a tool that can help you achieve a sense of balance in your life. This tool will help you to visually identify which areas of your life need improvement and which ones you are doing fine or need only a minor adjustment.
The wheel of life is divided in 8 to 12 different areas. Various authors and coaches use it in a different way by adjusting the areas that need to be analyzed. For me, these ten areas that I’ve included are the ones we usually need to really have a complete view of our life, but you are welcome to change some of them and adding the ones that you really feel are more important.
The categories that I use are:
- Studies, Career or Business
- Finance and wealth
- Health and fitness
- Family
- Friends and social
- Partner or significant other
- Personal growth or self-development
- Recreation, fun, and leisure
- Physical Environment
- Self-Image and spiritual well-being
How does it work?
For each category, you will have to assess how satisfied you feel in that particular area. You will rank each area on a scale from 0 to 10 to show your level of satisfaction and plot it in the wheel of life graphic. In the end, you will have a visual representation of what is important to you and what needs your attention.
Wheel of life example
Start the exercise
1. Download the template
Here you can download this worksheet with a new wheel of life for you to fill it in.
2. Create your wheel of life
Analyze each category and on a scale of 0 (low) to 10(high), write down your level of satisfaction. Mark each score on your Wheel of Life template.
Here are some questions that will help you assess each category.
Studies, Career or Business
Do you enjoy your studies or your current job?
Are you satisfied with what you do?
Do you feel that you have the opportunity to grow?
Are you currently working or studying something that you really enjoy and that is aligned with your personal beliefs and values?
Health and Fitness
What is your overall health condition?
Do you have a healthy lifestyle?
Do you eat well?
Do you exercise regularly?
Are you satisfied with your health and physical condition?
Family
Do you spend quality time with your family?
Do you have a good relationship with your spouse or partner and your children?
Are you satisfied with your family life?
Friends
Do you spend time with your friends?
Do you enjoy the time you spend with friends?
Do you wish to have more friends or to change something in your social life?
Recreation, fun and leisure
Finance & wealth
Love life, spouse or significant other
Personal growth
Self-image & spirituality
Physical environment
3. Analyze your wheel of life
Review the form of your graph and pay attention to those categories that have the lowest values. Those are the areas where you need to work on and to improve to have a joyful and fulfilled life.
Note that sometimes these categories are linked together, for example, your sense of self-growth could be closely tied to the way you think about your career or the work you are currently doing, so if you feel dissatisfied with this, it will affect other areas, like self-growth, finance, and physical environment. This only means that when you improve one are, you will be affecting and therefore improving many areas at the same time
This is why the analysis of your wheel of life is very important, not only to visualize what is wrong and what is right but to also identify the reason behind the values you assign to each category.
From 8 to 10
If you have areas where you assign a value from 8 to 10, then find that you are very satisfied with this particular field. It is important that you continue to do the things that are currently doing so that you don’t lose momentum and this level of satisfaction.
From 5 to 7
These areas show that you are reasonably satisfied, but there is something you need to do to improve them.
From 0 to 4
These areas show where you are not satisfied and where you need to explore the changes and the actions you need to take to improve the level of satisfaction. Don’t feel discouraged if you find that there are many areas within this range; this only shows the opportunity for you to create the life you desire and the changes that will have the most impact on you.
4. Examine your answers
The following questions will help you reflect on your current situation and the things that you really desire to achieve in life.
- How do you feel about your life when you see the results in your Wheel of Life?
- Look at the areas that are between 0 and 4, and think what is that you do right now and what would you like to do to feel better?
- What numbers do you want to see on your Wheel of Life?
- How could you improve in the areas that are in the low and medium range?
- What actions can you take to start moving up the scale?
- How could you make space for these changes?
- Can you do this changes on your own, or who can help you to achieve them?
- What will you be when you have achieved these changes?
- What will be the impact of these shifts in the other areas and your life?
- What will happen if you don’t do any changes?
5. Take action
This exercise is just the beginning of a personal transformation. This analysis has helped you to visualize the areas where you need to work on to feel more satisfied and to achieve a greater level of fulfillment.
Today you have the chance to do something about your life, don’t stay here doing anything, follow through and start creating goals and objectives that will help you achieve what you want in life.
Share your experience with us, tell us how did it go for you on this exercise and what do you think you could do to improve your life.
Take a look at some other great tools and resources that will help you in your personal development journey.
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