To know and think about what we want to achieve in life or what we would like to change, there is a very popular tool in professional development and personal growth known as “the wheel of life.” This is attributed to Paul J. Meyer, a coaching reference. It consists of reviewing the different aspects of our lives as people are multidimensional beings.
This technique comes from the coaching field and allows for a greater awareness of the aspects to improve in each person and helps achieve the goal of self-realization. It is a very visual way to know if our needs are in balance.
What is the “wheel of life” used for?
The “wheel of life” is used to:
- Identify the areas that the person considers important.
- Become aware of the level of life satisfaction.
- Know where to start to improve.
- Stimulate the process of change.
- Help to be consistent.
- See if progress is being made or not.
- Apply it in a personal or professional context.
How to do the “wheel of life”
To do the “wheel of life,” you must follow these steps.
- Represent the areas in a circle. There are templates available online that can be downloaded. You can also draw circles by hand on a piece of paper and write down the areas you consider. The most common are family, health, partner, friendship, work, studies, finances, and personal success.
- Score each area. When all the areas are selected, they must be rated from 1 to 10, from not satisfied at all to completely satisfied. If a score is less than four, that aspect needs urgent improvement.
- Connect the areas. After scoring each area, they are connected with a line and a geometric figure is drawn. When all are connected, you can see the person’s life. If the shape created is harmonious, similar to a circle, there is balance, but if the shape is irregular, it indicates that some areas are less satisfied than others. It may happen that there is harmony, but because all areas are low.
- Initiate the transformation. Reflect on which area can be improved by being honest with oneself. Set short-term goals that are realistic and help achieve the final objective.
