What does it mean to have a balanced life? It can feel like we’re pulled in different directions by our work, home, and family commitments. Even what looks like success can feel stressful and chaotic.
A well-balanced life is about acting with intent. We’ve spoken to Joshua Becker about being mindful of what you keep. Jordan Page has shared the importance of being intentional with your schedule. Finding balance is about applying those principles to all aspects of your life.
A well-balanced life vs. work-life balance
When we hear the word balance, it often refers to work-life balance. While that is important, you can still feel unbalanced without devoting too much time to a job. Even things you enjoy need your time, attention, and energy. Too often, we don’t think about how we use these finite resources.
The Life Wheel
A life wheel is a great tool to help you visualize where you thrive or struggle. The exercise is to fill in each wheel segment to represent satisfaction with an element of your life. Thinking about where you stand then allows you to ‘budget’ your efforts.
Download the free Create More Balance E-book for a printable life wheel.
This wheel includes sections for:
- Money and Finances
- Career/Job
- Health and Fitness
- Fun and Recreation
- Home Environment
- Community
- Family and Friends
- Partner and Love
- Personal Growth/Learning
- Spirituality
Ideally, all the areas would fall into a similar range where you feel content. This will vary based on how important each topic is to YOU. If romantic relationships, a career, or spirituality aren’t what you need to feel fulfilled – that’s okay! The purpose is to help you become more self-aware and examine your own experiences.
The idea isn’t to achieve perfection. No one will have a perfect circle. It’s also unrealistic to expect all areas of your life to rank at a 10. In fact, this exercise can be especially helpful to perfectionists. How much extra effort do you put in for a small fraction of improvement on a project? Could that energy be better spent in an area where you feel unsatisfied?
These results can (and should) ebb and flow throughout your life. The goal is to have no one segment so neglected that it causes you daily stress. Visualizing this can help you redistribute your focus and work toward positive change.
Watch the podcast episode to see Cas’ life wheel and join the conversation in the comments.