The Wheel of Life – Dialing in the Details of the Big Picture

It’s a New Year – a blank canvas of an open year full of new opportunity and with nothing to judge. To help me stay present, I actually spend some time looking forward. The Wheel of Life >> is a tool I love to use at the beginning of the year and anytime I need a “check in”. It’s a tool that invites contemplation about fulfillment in all realms of life.

I start by assessing how I’m showing up in one area and how it relates to how I’m showing up in another. Often there are obvious gaps that appear, along with obvious areas for improvement and needed attention. Once I have identified these gaps, I start to brainstorm ways to bridge them with actions both big and small.

For example, right now I am a little bit low for where I want to be with Friends and Family. I made a similar pie chart to the larger Wheel of Life, and it only includes friends and family listed around the outside. Making a second wheel (and sometimes third) allows me to get specific and really dial in what’s missing.  

If, for example, I notice my son, Jack, and I haven’t spent as much time together, I can then look at our calendar and make sure I am driving him to activities, or to/from school. I can try to plan a date night with him or take him out to lunch at school one day.  

I create these mini pie charts so often that I can almost visualize them in my head. As I roll the wheel through each kid’s name, I make sure I’m taking all necessary action to really spend my time with everyone that’s important to me. I do the same with goals and progress to goals. It’s a wonderfully direct and visual accountability system for staying in alignment with what’s important to me.

Try it out for yourself!