Feeling out of balance? Take a helicopter view of your life in 2 minutes using this simple tool

In today’s busy lives it’s all too easy to find yourself off balance, not paying enough attention to important areas of your life. As a coach, we are taught to use various techniques to help our clients to move forward. One great tool which I use regularly with my mum clients at the start of their coaching journey is 'the wheel of life'. It’s called the wheel of life as it is mapped out using the spokes of a wheel. This coaching model was created by Paul J Meyer. Using the wheel of life enables you to take a helicopter view of your life in order to identify which areas are going well and which are out of balance. It is a powerful tool as it gives you a visual representation of the way your life is currently, and then, with that knowledge you can create actions to bring about the change you desire.

Using the tool

Taking a sheet of paper, draw a large circle. Divide the circle in to eight segments. There are three ways of labelling each segment:

1) The roles you play in life – parent, son/daughter, brother/sister, friend, manager, colleague, neighbour, team member, volunteer or...

2) The areas of life which are important to you – personal development, relationships, family, health and well-being, money, career, fun and leisure, spiritual life or...

3) Your own combination of these – reflecting what is important to you.

Write these down on the segments of wheel.

Then assess each area and shade each segment with how fulfilled you feel in each area. A small amount of shading indicates you are less fulfilled and a large amount of shading indicates you are more fulfilled.

Finally, take a view of the whole wheel. The challenge now is to move forward, taking steps towards getting the balance you want and bringing about the change you desire. Are there areas which are out of balance, areas you are neglecting, or areas where you are devoting too much time? Decide what action you want to take. Think through what you want to do more of and what you want to do less of and agree some actions. Working with a coach can give you clarity and support to create a manageable plan.