The current turbulent market is without doubt forcing changes, both positive and negative, on most people’s careers and lives.

These changes often require us to shift our priorities which in turn can easily lead us to neglecting other important areas of our life. As a result it is very easy for us to end up feeling that our life is somehow ‘off balance’. This in turn will affect our overall sense of wellbeing which is important if we are to cope with everyday life challenges.

The following exercise can help you take control and regain your perspective. The tool which is called The Wheel of Life is a representation of the cornerstones of most people’s lives. It is a simple tool that will enable you to evaluate the current balance of key areas within your life. If you feel you have a high satisfaction rating in all areas then your life would be considered as being in balance. However for most people there will be some degree of imbalance where certain areas are scoring a lower rating.

To complete the exercise you will need to imagine each section has a rating from 0 to 10 with the centre being zero and the outer edge 10. Now draw a line within that section, rating your current level of satisfaction. Now work out roughly the percentage of time currently invested in each of the areas and the percentage of time you would ideally like to invest.

If your wheel is full and smooth then congratulations you have a life that is in balance! If however it is bumpy, this indicates that your life is out of balance. You now need to decide which of the areas you wish to focus on. You may decide on only those that are lowest score, the most important at this time or all of them. When you have decided on the areas, you need to brainstorm ideas of what you could do to improve your level of satisfaction. At this point be as creative and off the wall as you can. When you have completed this you can now decide which actions you will take. These actions should now be listed out, prioritized and then a completion date assigned to ensure you stay on track. You should now have a basic plan to help improve your work-life balance!

John Adams – The Recruiter’s Coach works with individuals and companies within the recruitment industry to resolve career and life challenges. If you wish to find out more, email John at [email protected]