“If you always do what you have always done, you will always be where you have always been”,
American non-denominational Christian preacher, T.D. Jakes
IN the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, it is easy to lose sight of our overall well-being and the balance required for a fulfilling life.
Balancing career, relationships, health, and personal growth can be challenging – sometimes we need a structured approach to assess and prioritise our priorities.
Last week, I was among those who attended a training course on ‘The Wheel of Life’ with founder and chairwoman of YAST Group, Esther Law.
This is the second training session she conducted with the New Sarawak Tribune and Suara Sarawak staff members.
During the training session, she shared about the Wheel of Life approach which is a popular coaching and self-help tool that is used to assess and visualise aspects of a person’s life.
Coaches and individuals can use the Wheel of Life analysis to identify priorities, set goals, and create action plans for achieving a more balanced and fulfilling life.
It serves as a useful tool for self-reflection and goal setting in various personal and professional development contexts.
The Wheel of Life typically consists of a circle divided into sections or spokes, each representing a different area or aspect.
The specific life area can vary but include career/work, finance, health, family and relationships, personal growth, social life, hobbies/leisure, environment, spirituality, and contribution/service.
Career/work reflects your satisfaction and fulfillment in your professional life whereas finance examines your financial situation, budgeting, and overall financial well-being.
Health focuses on physical well-being, exercise, nutrition, and overall health while family and relationships consider the quality of your relationships with family members and friends.
Personal growth examines commitment to learning, personal development, and self-improvement while social life reflects your satisfaction with your social interactions and connections.
Hobbies/leisure considers the time and satisfaction derived from recreational activities and hobbies whereas environment examines your satisfaction with your living and working environment.
Spirituality reflects your connection to spiritual or philosophical beliefs and contribution/service focuses on the impact your make on others and your community.
To use the Wheel of Life, individuals rate their satisfaction for fulfillment in each area by placing a mark on the corresponding spoke – you can also rate each area from one to 10.
The overall shape of the wheel then provides a visual representation of the balance and satisfaction across different life areas.
An uneven or lopsided wheel indicates areas of life that may need more attention or improvement.
I personally rated myself as follows for the different areas: career/work (six), finance (five), health (seven), family and relationships (nine), personal growth (six), social life (five), hobbies/leisure (five), environment (seven), spirituality (six), and contribution/service (five).
While my Wheel of Life is uneven and slightly a lopsided wheel, I view this asymmetry not as a cause for concern but as a roadmap for self-improvement and growth.
The visual representation has laid bare the areas of my life that require attention and nurturing.
It is a call to action, an invitation to embark on a journey toward a more balanced and fulfilling existence.
I believe this is also applicable to other participants including my bosses who admitted that their high scores for career/work and finance have affected the scores for their family and relationships, health, social life as well as hobbies/leisure.
This exercise helped each participant to visualise which areas that they have been paying too much focus on and vice versa, along with what areas are affected or neglected.
Personally, finance and personal growth are the two aspects that I would like to improve on for this year.
In terms of finance,I would like to think that I am on a stable footing and comfortable for a 26-year-old.
However, I think it is only inherent human nature to seek an even more comfortable life.
Improving this life aspect will not be an easy task, but I believe that sustained effort and dedication will pave the way for positive changes.
Recognising that financial growth and stability require ongoing commitment, I am committed to exploring various avenues and adopting a proactive approach to achieve my goals.
As for personal growth, I want to be more in control of my emotions where I no longer want to be easily bothered or be triggered to feel negative emotions when things happen.
I also want to continue taking on new challenges and whatever unplanned things that life throws at me with a positive mindset.
Despite my initial skepticism about participating in this training course, I pushed myself to attend.
I am glad I did as it provided an opportunity to learn new things, and the Wheel of Life approach not only opened my eyes but also prompted some valuable self-reflection.
