As part of a recent annual review process, I decided to audit my own life using a simple and straightforward method I learned about online. The self-assessment tool is commonly known as ‘The Wheel of Life’. Auditing your life provides a benchmark for where you are at and what you can improve on.
This specific tool also helps you understand how balanced your life is and what you can do to create more balance. I’ve broken down the process into the following 5 steps:
Auditing your life provides a benchmark for where you are at and what you can improve on. I’ve broken down the process into the following 5 steps:
Step 1: Assess & Rate Yourself
Assess and rate your life in the following 8 areas by giving yourself a score out of 10. How satisfied are you in each area of your life? 0 = Very Dissatisfied, Unhappy & Unfulfilled and 10 = Very Satisfied, Happy & Fulfilled.
- Health: ?/10
- Fitness: ?/10
- Finances: ?/10
- Spirituality: ?/10
- Relationships: ?/10
- Mental & Emotional: ?/10
- Professional Development & Learning: ?/10
- Creativity & Fun: ?/10
Note: Don’t overthink this process. Go with your intuition and write down the first score that comes to mind. I personally selected the above categories. Feel free to use the same or create your own. You might prefer including ‘Love & Romance’, ‘Family & Friends’, ‘Work & Career’, etc. It’s completely up to you how you’d like to break things down.
Step 2: Identifying Your Top 3 Goals
When done, re-order this list from lowest to highest scores. Move the items with lowest scores to the top.
Top 3 items are the areas of your life that you need to improve on to create more balance.
Step 3: Create A Visual Representation – Your Wheel of Life
Create a visual representation by doing the following:
- [thrive_2step id=’1451′]Download and print my free ‘Wheel of Life’ template[/thrive_2step] or get a sheet of blank paper and draw a large even circle around that dot.
- Draw 8 straight lines from the center to the circumference (it should like the spokes of a bicycle wheel).
- Label each line with an area of your life (health, fitness, etc.)
- Add your scores (out of 10) to each line by adding a dot on each straight line. For example: for 5/10 you would place your dot exactly half way between the center of the circle and circumference.
- Next, connect all your dots to form a shape and shade in that area – this area will cover part of the large circle.
Step 4: Interpret Your Wheel of Life
- The larger your shaded area the higher your overall score.
- The rounder your shaded are, the more balanced your life. A perfectly round shaded area means that you’ve scored the same score for each area of your life
Step 5: Commit To Making Improvements & Changing Habits
- Ask yourself what would it take to increase the scores of your top 3 priorities.
- Make a list of action items and commit to taking action.
Example of Changing Habits
- Health: Commit to going for your annual health checkup, schedule regular dentist appointments, eat a healthier diet, etc.
- Fitness: Commit to going to the gym X times a week or schedule exercise into your calendar X times a week, etc.
- Finances: Commit to increasing your income, decreasing your expenses, saving more and investing responsibly.
- Spirituality: Commit to working on your spirituality. Take time out to explore, connect, learn and practice.
- Relationships: Commit to healthy/functional relationships. Improve good relationships and end problematic ones.
- Mental & Emotional: Commit to doing the emotional work and work on yourself. Cultivate a positive and grateful mindset.
- Professional Development & Learning: Commit to learning something new every day – something that will help you overcome an existing challenge. Improve yourself in your professional capacity – read, learn, summarise and teach.
- Creativity & Fun: Commit to taking life less seriously and have more fun. Set aside time to enjoy yourself.
Note: If you are struggling to change your habits, then dig deeper. Understand why you would like to improve this area of your life and why you are feeling resistance or unconscious limiting beliefs.
