What if I told you there’s a tool you can use to achieve wholeness? In this post you’ll learn all about the “wheel of life” so you can use it as a reference when life feels “off” and help you get back on track.
What is the “wheel of life?“
It is a tool consisting of different categories that gives you an overall view of your current life status. It gives you a 360 degree lens into your current life and can help you achieve an improved desired balance. There are a variety of versions of this wheel out there but the gist is the same across the board.
“The wheel of life” was created in the 1960’s by a man named Paul J Meyer, according to Indeed. He was the founder of the Success Motivation Institute and one of the originators of life coaching. Now you can find and download free versions of this tool online or you could even create your own if you want.
How to use it
The easiest way to use the “wheel of life” is by printing out a copy of the tool so you can fill it out. If you don’t have access to a printer, you could create your own. Draw a big circle on a piece of paper, dividing the pie in 8 even slices, then draw one smaller circle right in the middle of the main one. This smaller circle will be used as the reference point for a score of “5,” which is the midway point of the highest score (a “10”). 1 is “very bad” and it’s closest to the center of the circle. 10 is “very good” and it’s at the edge of the circle. Then write each category listed below at the end of each of the 8 slices.
The following categories make up each section of the wheel:
- Career/Business – How satisfied are you with your current place of employment or your business? Do you feel challenged enough or are you lacking that?
- Finance/Money -How satisfied are you with your finances? Are you happy with the amount of money you’re currently bringing in? Or are you overspending and accumulating debt?
- Health/Fitness -How satisfied are you with your current health and wellness? Are you moving your body enough? Are you eating how you want to be eating?
- Family/Friends -How satisfied are you with your friendships and family dynamic? Have you been prioritizing time to develop your friendships? Are you happy with the amount of time you’re spending with your family?
- Love/Romance -How satisfied are you with your current love life? Have you prioritized your significant other? Have they prioritized you?
- Personal Development -How satisfied are you with your self-development growth? Do you feel like you’re progressing in life? Do you feel stuck or stagnant?
- Fun/Recreation -How satisfied are you with having fun? Have you prioritized self-care? Have you been making time to do things you enjoy out of pure joy?
- Spirituality/Contribution to Society -How satisfied are you with your purpose in this world? Do you feel connected to others? Are you doing your part in contributing to society in your own special way?
Next, you’ll take the time to evaluate your life in its current state. Try to be as gentle as possible with yourself. The point of this tool is to help bring awareness to the areas of your life that could use improvement. You’ll rate each category from a scale of 1 to 10. If you drew the wheel yourself, estimate your ranking using the middle circle as your reference indicating a “5.” Personally, I like to color in the pie slice to the level of my ranking.
How it helps
The “wheel of life” is simply a tool that helps bring awareness to your life. Once you finish ranking each category and fill in each slice, you’ll see your life in a 360 lens. It brings a new perspective to help you prioritize areas of your life. After seeing the areas you ranked the lowest, I suggest you take it a step further and journal your thoughts.
Reflect on your results by writing out any specific thoughts you have about the lowest ranking categories. How do you feel about your overall results? Which category was ranked the lowest and why? Which category was ranked the highest and why? What are some ways you can improve next month?
Final thoughts
Well there you have it. I hope you add this tool in your “toolbelt” for future purposes, especially for those times when you are feeling “off” and can’t figure out why. There might be a category in need of attention that you can discover using the “wheel of life.” I suggest you use this tool once a month or possibly quarterly if you prefer.
I don’t necessarily believe in “balance” so I avoided using that word or concept in the whole blog post. However, this tool is simply a way to identify areas of your life where you can devote more time and energy than others. I don’t even suggest you try to “balance” your life because there’s no such thing, in my opinion. We’re all doing the best we can. Some seasons of our life will feel easier than others.
My weekly planner has this tool incorporated in the monthly overview section. I love it because I get to use it at the end of every month and reflect on what I’d like to change the following month. It has helped me bring focus back to other areas I may have unintentionally neglected. Let me know your thoughts on this post. I’d love to hear from you! If you’d like additional help using this tool, I can help you. I have coaching spots available. My Instagram DM’s are always open so feel free to reach out with questions.
Let’s work together!
- If you’re really ready to create the life you want
- If you want to increase your happiness and feel more confident in who you are
- If you want to trust yourself more and live on purpose
I can help you! Schedule your clarity call to work with me HERE!
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