Create the Life You Want

A few years into my first job after college I truly began to understand what the concept of work life balance was. I wish I could say that it was because I was thriving with an amazing work life balance, but unfortunately, it was the complete opposite. My drive for constant improvement combined with a culture that encouraged employees to constantly pursue challenges was a recipe for work taking the highest priority in my life. This resulted in many other hobbies, relationships and most importantly my health having little to no priority.

An activity I started doing that helped me become really intentional about where I was putting my efforts was the Wheel of Life activity. Mind Tools does a pretty good job of explaining the basic concept (here) but you can tweak it however you’d like to make it the most impactful for you. Below you'll find a blank template and an example template and then I'll walk through my last three Wheel of Life diagrams. I recommend doing this exercise every 1-2 years depending on the types of changes or goals you are working on.

Wheel of Life Template

Wheel of Life Example

Below is the first time I did the Wheel of Life activity. The green points were where I wanted to be in each area of my life, the orange points were where I currently felt I was. I was giving everything I had to work and volunteering but I was neglecting almost every other area of my life.

About a year went by and I had made a lot of progress creating a life outside of work but there was still work to be done so I did the Wheel of Life activity again to make sure I continued working on the right things.

In 2019 I made mental and physical health a priority, I lost 80 lbs. and began seeing a Psychiatrist and Therapist regularly and was continuing to make strides in many areas of my life. In 2020 I focused on personal growth, I got my Masters, I began defining my personal beliefs and I learned how to listen to my body.

Now, almost a month into 2021 I did the Wheel of Life activity yet again and am gearing up to continue the progress I have made over the last few years.

In the first few months I will focus heavily on my physical health and my relationship with my husband. Work and injuries has caused me to lose ground in these areas so my first priority is to get back to where I was. To help ensure success I made a list of what it looks like to make progress in these areas like the below.

Physical Health

• Sticking with my Nutrition Plan until I reach my goal weight
• Drinking water
• Stretching 3x a week
• 6-7 hrs. of sleep each night

Relationship with Ben

• Putting down my phone and closing my computer when we are talking
• Date night once a week

I can guarantee I will fail to do all of the above 100% of the time, but I'm confident if I do the above a majority of the time and continue to change my habits I will see progress the next time I do a Wheel of Life activity.

Think About It...

• What surprised you about your Wheel of Life?
• When you look at your Wheel of Life where do you need to make the most effort?
• How will you know if you are making progress in those areas?

Stay tuned to hear what Adulting with Britt looks like in February.