How to Measure Your Progress using a Wheel of Life Assessment

Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite tools called the Wheel of Life Assessment that you can use to check in on how you’re doing as you move toward your goals.

Nothing will slow you don’t faster than losing a sense of how you’re doing and where you’re going.

If you’ve been going non-stop for a while like many of us have, it’s hard to get a sense of how you’re doing. But how you’re doing matters.

How you’re doing matters not just in terms of how you show up for others, but it matters for you. I find myself often repeating the saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’. I say it to myself and I say it to my clients. And now, I’m saying it to you.

So, I invite you to pause for a minute, or more like half an hour. Take some time to reassess and really answer the question. This is an important part of taking stock of where you are so you can THRIVE!

How are you doing, really?

If you say you’re doing ‘good’, what does that mean to you? Chances are, ‘good’ is the knee jerk response you give when anyone asks the question. But instead of resorting to autopilot, try this instead: assess how you’re doing in the key areas of your life using a wheel of life assessment.

What is the Wheel of Life Assessment

A Wheel of Life assessment is a diagnostic tool that allows you to measure your progress in key areas that you identify. At a glance your wheel of life shows how you’re doing in the various areas, whether that be your personal life, work life or a reflection of your life in general.

How are you doing when it comes to your goals? Take this quick assessment to find out how. Share on X

I like to use this tool as part of my annual goal planning and come back to it again a few times throughout the year. The wheel of life assessment is particularly powerful for people like me who are visual learners, but I’ve found it to be impactful for a wide range of people, no matter their learning styles.

If you haven’t done a wheel of life assessment before, below is an example of one I did recently.

The way the wheel of life assessment works is you start by choosing up to 8 key areas you’d like to assess. I recommend the following key life areas but you can choose others based on your particular circumstances.

Key Life Areas:

1. Spirituality
2. Love & Family
3. Personal Growth
4. Health & Wellness
5. Friends
6. Business & Career
7. Money & Finance
8. Fun & Leisure

You can also use the wheel of life assessment to weigh in on your business, ministry or other areas you’d like to assess. Simply tweak the headings accordingly.

Once you’ve identified your key areas, ask yourself how you’re doing in each area. On a scale of 1-10 how satisfied are you with how things are going and the level of attention this area of your life is getting? Come up with a number and mark it on the chart.

After completing the scores for all 8 areas, join all the points together, and there you will have a visual representation of your life.

Before you fall off your chair, let me prepare you for what might be a bit of a shock. Nearly every client I’ve done this with, their first reaction was discouragement. While they might’ve had a sense of how they were doing, there’s something about seeing it on paper (or the screen) that sends them into a tailspin.

Many of my clients would joke about how lop-sided their wheels are. Or how bumpy the ride of life is with such a wheel, all in an effort to play off their discouragement. But I always tell them, there’s good news. The bottom line is, now you know.

And now that you know how you’re doing you can do something about it.

Now that you know

Seeing your wheel of life mapped out before you gives you an incredible amount of power. What you have before you is information which can provide the basis for your next steps. Armed with this information, there are certain decisions to make.

Took a Wheel of Life assessment…now what? Answering these key questions will help you move forward with confidence. Share on X

10 Questions to Ask Yourself after completing a Wheel of Life Assessment

To decide your next steps, ask yourself the questions below.

1. When I look at my wheel of life how does it make me feel?
2. What do I notice about my life now that I’ve completed my Wheel of Life?
3. Does it seem like I’m paying more attention to certain areas?
4. Am I thriving in some areas at the expense of others?
5. Which of these areas are most important to me?
6. How does my current season affect the various areas of my life?
7. What will it take for me to score a 10 and what would that look like?
8. What is my goal for each of my key areas?
9. Am I satisfied with how I am doing overall?
10. What adjustments would I like to make?

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

It probably goes without saying that each person’s wheel of life is unique, just as you are unique. However, I’d like to point out a few things that might not be so obvious.

Know your score.

While a score of 10 might be awesome, it’s not always the goal. Depending on where you are in life, your season and your specific goals, you might very well be satisfied with a score of 7 in certain areas, for example. Expecting to hit 10 in all areas may not be a realistic goal. Decide what is acceptable for you and be satisfied (and celebrate) when you hit that.

The discouragement you feel is normal.

As I mentioned earlier, discouragement is normal if you weren’t expecting to see a lop-sided wheel. Instead of sinking deeper, allow what you’re feeling to motivate you toward your goal, not further away from them.

Stuck is not a destination.

If you’re feeling stuck, I understand. Some seasons last longer than others and it can feel almost impossible to move forward, but in time you will. Stuck doesn’t last forever. Instead of focusing on big lofty goals, focus on small incremental changes that will add up over time.

NEXT STEPS

I’ve included the wheel of life assessment inside of my THRIVE assessment that you can take for free. Over the course of 5 days, I help you get clear on where you are using the Wheel of Life and walk you through the next steps you need to take to move forward. This is not a prescriptive process, but rather a personalized plan for you to check in on how you’re doing and focus on one thing at a time to move forward and thrive in the areas that matter most to YOU.

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P.S. Asking how you’re doing is an important step in your journey to THRIVE. See the full THRIVE Road Map along with other helpful questions to get you on your way to thriving.