To help you explore what things you would like to change about your life, One Life Live has partnered with life change specialists, New Meaning Ltd, to create a number of simple exercises.
In the lead up to One Life Live 2008 we'll add a new exercise each month, so do check back.
If you feel that your life is out of balance, but are not sure where the problem lies, then this exercise could help shed a little light on what changes you might want to make.
The life balance wheel is a very simple – yet effective – exercise to start you off on the path to making some positive changes. It won’t give you a specific answer to your issues, but it can help you decide which area (s) of your life need (s) some more targeted personal development effort.
N.B. You will need to print this page to complete the exercise below.
Method
Think about all the different areas of your life and how satisfied you are with each of them. Make a list selected from the suggestions below or create your own headings. You will need a total of eight headings.
Think about the different areas you have selected and give each a rating for your current level of satisfaction (0 = total dissatisfaction, 50% = 'half' satisfied, 100% = total satisfaction).
| Life Area |
Current Satisfaction Level % |
| Career |
|
| Finances |
|
| Physical environment |
|
| Friends |
|
| Fun and recreation |
|
| Relationship/romance |
|
| Personal development/education |
|
| Family |
|
| Spiritual life |
|
| Holidays |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Now attribute each spoke of the wheel to one of your headings and, starting at the centre, shade in the percentage figures against each life area. Just for guidance, each circle represents 20%.
Here’s an example for a couple of categories:
You will now have a wheel that represents your overall satisfaction with life. Does it form a perfect wheel or are parts of your life out of kilter?
Your wheel should help highlight for you the areas that need work. The first step to achieving satisfaction is to be consistently aware of the areas that you are not happy with and be motivated to change them.
Life balance is about noticing when you are too focused on one area of your life, meaning you neglect others. Sometimes you will only need to make small adjustments to get things back in balance, at other times it may mean a more major life change. The Life Balance Wheel helps you recognise the issues you have with your life and can assist you as you start to address them - helping achieve the life balance you crave.
What do you want to be different?
The key to achieving a life balance is understanding what you want to be different in your life and then taking positive steps to achieve it. When you know what it is you are aiming at it becomes much easier to focus your energy on what matters most, rather than wavering around without a desired outcome.
If you are struggling to define the changes you want to make, try picturing what you want your life to look like a year from now. Go through each of the headings you've created and write a brief account of what this area of your life looks like in one year's time. Also try writing down what steps you took to change your current situation into the one you have imagined for yourself a year from now?
What's stopping you?
Take another look at your Life Balance Wheel and choose an area where you have indicated a low level of satisfaction. Look at the description you have created for this area of your life a year from now, and the changes you needed to make to achieve this new picture. Now ask yourself what is holding you back from making those changes?
Focus on:
- What are you afraid of?
- What would you do if you had no fear?
Fear can be one of the most debilitating emotions when trying to make a change. Something as simple as taking some time to really understand what it is that you are afraid you can be extremely helpful in allowing you to push through the fear and start to make the changes you need to get your life back in balance.
Every few months re-visit the Life Balance Wheel and create a new one with your existing levels of satisfaction. Try not to look back at your previous wheels until you have completed the new one. Then place the wheels side by side and look at how the balance has changed. Where you have achieved higher levels of satisfaction note down the changes you made to achieve this positive change.
This Life Change Exercise has been prepared by New Meaning Limited as part of a joint venture with One Life Live 2008. For further advice on this exercise or a free-no obligation consultation, please contact New Meaning.
New Meaning offer a number of programmes, offering practical, realistic technques that can help maximise achieving success in different areas of you life.
For more information take a look below:
    
Meaningful Virtual The Energy Real Deep
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