It was a rainy weekday afternoon. The kids and I were in good spirits despite the gloomy weather. We were all a bit hungry and I hadn’t gone grocery shopping so we headed to the nearby Chick-fil-A for a quick after-school treat.
As I navigated through the rain, my SUV was suddenly difficult to maneuver – every time I turned the steering wheel right, the car pulled left. I fought the tension in my SUV for the three-mile drive to our destination. That short trip seemed to take forever, and by the time I parked, my arms were tired from all the effort it took to keep my SUV centered on the road.
“I need to check the car guys. Be right back!” I hopped out of the car into the pouring rain to assess my vehicle.
“Ugh.” I was consumed with irritation, frustration, and a bit of humor as I realized that I had a flat tire. I really flat tire.
We didn’t make it to Chick-fil-A that day. Instead, we spent a few unexpected (but fun) hours at the mall while the guys at Sears installed a new tire.
There are moments in my journey through working motherhood that I feel like I did that day – trying to head in one direction, but being pulled in another, and then exhausted when I finally make it close to my intended destination (but still not really making it). It’s frustrating, especially for a life-long over-achiever like me. Before children, when I established an intention, it happened and usually with results that far-exceeded my initial expectations. These days, I sometimes settle for mediocrity, or at least that’s how it feels.
The truth is, I don’t accept mediocrity (it’s hard to shake perfectionism and my high-achiever mentality). But I do sometimes run my life, similar to the tires on my SUV, on faulty parts. Those faulty parts force me to exert more effort and if I ignore the problem, I end up with a flat (or feeling unsatisfied and discontent). Whenever I reach this point, I pull out a simple, yet very powerful, tool called the Wheel of Life, which is my personal growth version of visiting Sears for a tire change.
I learned about the Wheel of Life, now called the “Assessment Wheel,” while receiving professional coaching training from the Coaches Training Institute in 2003. The wheel allows me to quickly gauge my level of satisfaction in eight primary areas of my life – Career, Personal Growth, Fun & Recreation, Health & Well-being, Money & Finances, Friendships & Family, Physical Environment, Love & Romance. The wheel helps to clarify the areas in my life that need some attention.
The wheel is available as a free resource on the Coaches Training Institute Web site: click here. When I recently took the online assessment, my wheel came out like this:
Imagine this wheel on my SUV – it would be a bumpy road! This week, I’m taking my wheel into the shop for repair. I’m reviewing the areas where I’m not totally satisfied and establishing ways to make it better. By the time 2009 starts, I’ll have a clear idea where I’m heading and what I need to do to get there. The road will be bumpy at first – I mean look at my wheel! But, in time, the wheel will be better proportioned and the ride will be smooth.
What’s your wheel look like? Assess it here (click PDF icon):
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Wow–nice. I’m going to have to check out that wheel… mine will be so incredibly lopsided, I’m sure. But this WOULD make a fine start to the New Year–just knowing what the issues are. Thanks for sharing this!
You know I have been doing a lot of soul searching to figure out where I want to go and how to get there. I am taking the assessment now and will spend today and tomorrow coming up with a plan for 2009. Thanks for the tip.
Good Lord! My assesment looks like a deranged pinwheel!
This is a really interesting and honestly a pretty accurate view of my priorities. My eyes are opened. Thank you for this. What a great tool for the start of a new year.