Balancing Your Life
When it comes to personal development, there exists a timeless tool known as the “Wheel of Life” which you may or may not be familiar with yet.
The tool is ideal for individuals with ADHD, who often grapple with overwhelm and stress. However, even if you’re a Type A personality, meticulously organized, and perpetually on top of things, it remains a valuable tool to integrate into your life.
So let’s get into it…
My own introduction to the Wheel of Life occurred when I was, by conventional business standards, considered “successful.” But at that time, I found myself grappling with being sedentary and unfit, not having enough time to see the people I love, and driving myself to the brink of exhaustion.
So if you’re anything like me, and times get hectic at work, you might find yourself trapped in the tangle of your thoughts, unable to truly visualize the bigger picture of your life.
It’s as though we’re constantly stuck in our heads, wrestling with a thousand intricate details and being pulled in a thousand directions. That’s why the Wheel of Life — when visually represented on paper — provides a unique vantage point. It unfolds the bigger picture before us, serving as a powerful visual aid that transcends the limitations of our internal musings.
This newfound clarity allows us not only to see the entirety of our life’s landscape but also to chart a course with enhanced precision and foresight. By offering a tangible, structured view, the Wheel of Life becomes a navigational tool that illuminates our path, enabling us to plan, strategize, and think with a heightened sense of clarity and purpose.
HOW TO USE IT
It’s quite simple actually — I’ve created the steps below so you can follow:
Draw the Wheel: On a piece of paper or in a digital document, draw a circle and divide it into 6–8 sections, each representing one of life’s areas that you wish to focus on. Common categories include Career, Finances, Health, Family, Relationships, Personal Growth, Recreation, and more. However, you can customize these categories to suit your specific needs and goals.
Rate Your Satisfaction: For each life area you’ve identified, draw a scale (usually from 1 to 10) to rate your current level of satisfaction or fulfillment. A score of 1 represents extreme dissatisfaction or neglect, while 10 signifies complete contentment and balance.
Shade the Sections: Shade or color in each section according to your satisfaction score. This will create a visual representation of your current life balance. The result is often a lopsided or uneven wheel, indicating areas that require attention.
Reflect and Set Goals: Take a moment to reflect on your Wheel of Life. Identify the areas that are out of balance or need improvement. These areas with lower satisfaction scores are your priority focus points. Set specific, measurable, and achievable goals for each category to work towards greater balance and satisfaction.
From there, you can create your Action Plan. Break down your goals into actionable steps. Determine what actions you need to take to improve each area. Assign deadlines and create a plan to track your progress.
Planning with Neurotech
As a user of the Crown, I periodically revisit my Wheel of Life to assess my progress and use the Crown to help me focus while I create each one.
The Crown is very much a part of my daily routine, especially during moments of reflection and planning. Whether it’s in the morning for goal setting or in the evening for self-assessment, the Crown allows me to make the most of these moments by ensuring I’m in an optimal cognitive state.
This can be done monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on your preferences. As you make improvements in certain areas, adjust your wheel accordingly.
So far, my successes include:
Getting a good gym routine going (for health)
Carving out more time for my nearest and dearest (relationships!)
And even learning new skills (I’m currently learning how to invest!).
So there it is…
Life is dynamic and ever-changing, and sometimes different areas of my life go out of focus in the bigger picture. That’s why I continuously use the Wheel of Life to assess my current state and set new goals as your priorities and circumstances evolve.
Why not try it for yourself today?