The Wheel of Life is a tool we use in coaching to help us help you make thoughtful decisions about your life. All too often, there’s an interruption (coronavirus?) and we suddenly realize we aren’t happy. The reason can be simple, “I just lost my job” or complex, “I don’t need more money, my partner is amazing, but I just don’t feel very happy, and I can’t remember the last time I did.”

It turns out one of the secrets to living your best life is to live with intention.

A great place to start is a personal inventory. Re-create the Wheel of Life on a piece of paper and start to rate your satisfaction in the different areas (grab the wheel here). You might need to break down an area into subgroups (for example, you might break relationships down into intimate, kids, parents, etc.).

Start focusing on the areas that need work.

Immediately, you can start to fix the things that are broken right now. Are there small changes you can make? Is it time to reprioritize? If you’re struggling with determining what to do, check in with your values. Often values change over time – they don’t necessarily go away – but they can dial back to accommodate other values at different times in your lives.

For example, we often value independence when we first enter the workforce. That’s a solid lifelong value. But after about ten years of focusing on that value, we realize it’s not enough. If anything, we want less independence and more affiliation. That’s how values can flex as your mature.

Now visualize what you want in the future.

You can decide if the future is in five months or five years. That’s up to you. But as you think about what you want, you might want to once again check-in with your values. Maybe now caring for your parents is a high value, or owning a home, or having a child. It might be climate change or civil rights. Whatever motivates you is yours and important. Aligning your future with your values makes this exercise easier.

This is also when folks can tap the help of a coach. We go to school to learn that techniques that will help you discover your path. We don’t tell you what to do. Based on our life experience, we might offer suggestions, but we always ask first. You finding your path is essential. It must be based on what works for you. If you’re feeling stuck, you might need to do a little personal exploration first. I use a tool called the Energy Leadership Index (ELI) to help clients get focused.

The Life Coach Pod might offer inspiration.

Visit my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast. My aim is to provide a myriad of guests from all walks to life to inspire, encourage and support anyone looking to live their best life with intention.