A Four Step Self-Assessment Exercise
Sometimes we all need to take a step back and take a good look at our lives. Maybe you’re feeling that something is missing, something is making you feel uneasy, or maybe you just don’t feel satisfied with what you’ve got. Let’s put our lives under the microscope to get a more solid idea of where we are, and where we want to make some improvements.
The Wheel of Life is powerful exercise because it gives you a clear visual illustration of the where your life currently is, and identifies where you’d ideally like to make some changes. It enables us to view our life through 8 different (and important) dimensions:
- Finance
- Health
- Friends
- Love
- Leisure
- Home
- Career
- Personal Growth
Follow the four steps below to get a better understanding of how these areas are measuring up to your own expectations.
Step 1: “Me Time”
Give yourself 30 minutes of “Me Time”. This requires no distractions, no phones and giving yourself permission to just focus on YOU for a change. Download the FREE template at the bottom of this page (or draw it yourself).
Step 2: Reflect
Reflect on how life is for you right now in relation to each of the 8 aspects of life. For each area, give yourself a score from 0 (no satisfaction) to 10 (extremely satisfied!). Mark these scores on your Wheel of Life.
To assist in this task, ask yourself the following questions:
Finance:
Are you earning enough income to satisfy your current needs? Are you satisfied with where you are financially? Are you worrying about money? Maybe you’re someone without much, but that’s ok? How satisfied are you with where you’re at?
- Personal Growth:
How focused are you on personal growth? Are you satisfied with your direction? Are you trying new experiences and seeking to learn new things? Have you grown to your full potential as a human being?
- Health:
How physically healthy are you? Are you satisfied with your level of fitness? Are you satisfied with your diet, amount of exercise, sleep? Are there health issues you think you should attend to?
- Friends:
Do you feel you have enough people around you? Are your friends supportive of you? Are you engaging with friends and socializing to your satisfaction levels? Do you feel you need more connection in your life?
Love:
Do you feel loved? How often are you expressing love to others? Is your relationship where you want it to be? Maybe you’re still looking for a partner?
- Leisure:
Are you enjoying your life and making it fun? Are you happy with the amount of social activity and recreation you have? Are there new things you want to try? Do you enjoy yourself?
Home:
Is your family supportive of you? Are you supportive of your family? Is home somewhere you look forward to being? Or is it sometimes a place of stress and conflict?
- Career:
Is your career where you want it to be? Are you heading in the right direction? Are you happy in your job? Would you rather be doing something else? Maybe you’re lucky and love where you’re at!
It maybe that you value other aspects of your life also. If this is the case, please add these to your Wheel of Life. You might consider such areas as:
- Self-Image:
Do you respect and love yourself? Do you appreciate yourself? Do you recognize your own abilities and strengths? Do you know how fabulous you are?
- Contribution:
Do you feel you’re giving back to others around you or the world in general? Are you satisfied with your contribution to society?
- Spirituality:
How connected are you to your inner and outer world? Are you satisfied with your relationship with your spiritual self or your God?
Step 3: Tally your scores
Join up your scores around The Wheel and colour in the space between each spoke. The new perimeter represents your personal Wheel of Life.
Step 4: Review
Examine your Wheel. What sort of shape is your Wheel in? Is it fairly balanced and will therefor roll pretty easily throughout life? Or is it a bit uneven and giving you a bumpy ride?
You don’t need to get 10’s in every aspect of life, but things go much more smoothly when the areas are more even. Reflect on what areas need attention? Start thinking about actions you can take (in these specific areas) to ensure a less bumpy journey through life.
Now what?
This exercise gives you a great snapshot of your current situation and helps you see what parts of your life can do with a bit of TLC.
Next you need to create a specific plan to take action. And having completed your Wheel of Life – you’ve made a brilliant start to living the life you truly want!
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