The Wheel of Balance

The Wheel of balance technique was invented in the 70s by Paul J. Meyer, an American businessman, millionaire and motivational coach. At first, his technique helped the active and harmonious development of companies’ and leaders' potential. Then coaches began to use it actively to analyze the lives of their clients.

The Wheel of balance (the Wheel of life) is a tool that allows us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our lives, evaluate achievements in each area, and identify priority areas that require special attention. After all, the secret of happiness and success in life is the harmonious combination of all its spheres.

1. Assess the real state of affairs in various areas of life and compare with the desired goal.

In everyday life, we perform many actions automatically and unconsciously. Drawing up a balance wheel forces us to think and analyze every area of life, determine what is more important to us, and what we would like to change and improve.

2. Determine where the person is currently experiencing a deficit and how they can improve it.

With the help of Mayer's Wheel of Balance, you can get a holistic view of your life, and not just about any specific areas where there are obvious problems. Thanks to it, we can try to correct not just one area, but pay attention to the alignment of all areas of life, because in life, as in the body, everything is interconnected. Solving a problem is an integrated approach. Based on the results of the balance wheel, we can make important decisions, set priorities and distribute efforts.

3. Set relevant goals and increase personal effectiveness.

It's time to think about the future. Many people dream of their Balance Wheel being perfectly round. But this rarely happens. Sometimes we have to sacrifice something. For example, climbing the career ladder can lead to poor health or loss of family. It's worth thinking carefully about whether this is what you need. Maybe it’s not worth risking your dear people and your own health for the sake of your career?

All this makes you think about what you would like to happen to you in six months, a year, or two. What goals are really relevant?

To determine the number of sectors, answer the question: “What are the most important things in life for me?” These will be the areas of highest importance for you.

Everyone makes the wheel according to their priorities. It can have 6, 8, 10, 12 sectors. To do this, draw a circle on an A4 sheet and divide it into the required number of sectors.

✶ Finance (income level);
✶ Self-development (habits, skills, character);
✶ Health (sports, sleep, physical condition);
✶ Friendship (close circle);
✶ Family (parents, children, partners);
✶ Pleasure (travel, entertainment);
✶ Creativity (hobbies, interests);
✶ Career (job prospects).

Some people may add additional sectors: Children, Relationships (love), Spirituality (the meaning of life, self-knowledge, beauty of the soul), Beauty (maintaining the beauty of the body and appearance, image) etc.

When you have given every sector a name, apply 10 divisions to each sector (1 division = 1 point). then assign points from 0 to 10 to each area.

Approximate rating scale:

0 - 3—the situation needs to be changed;
4 - 7—partial changes are needed, a foundation for constant work;
8 - 10—no comments, stable, successful.

Evaluate each area honestly, you should not engage in self-deception. Surrender to your intuition, answer absolutely without thinking, whatever comes to mind first. At the same time, do not be categorical in your assessment of a particular sector.

For example, in the “Finance” area, do not hurry to give yourself 0 or 1 if you are not yet on the Forbes list. If you manage to maintain a balance of expenses and income without compromising your family's medical services, food and recreation, then you cannot say that you are failing in this area.

Also, you should not evaluate your situation based on the opinions of others. Do this only taking into account your own feelings. If your work does not bring the same income that your friends have achieved, but you like the work itself and the team is excellent, then this area is also not bad. You can set “0” in the “Work, career” area only if you are unemployed and do not have any sources of income in the form of your own business or freelancing.

When assessing the health sector, keep in mind that chronic diseases are here to stay. But your efforts to learn to live with them as fully as possible are worth the highest score. This is a truly realistic goal.

When you decide, mark the score in each sector. Of course, as you score each area, you may dream: “What is my ideal in this area, and how do I imagine this area of life at its best?”

In addition to your assessment of the current situation, put the number of points at which you want to increase the success of this or that area of your life. It is better to write current and desired points in different colors.

Not all areas of life will receive maximum scores. Some things are given less attention, but do not lose importance, while others dominate.

Now the most interesting thing begins. Remember that all areas of our lives are connected, and each of them affects each other. That is why you cannot take any area and start improving its quality, just as you cannot take on everything at once. You need to determine for yourself which area is the most profitable to start with. When one area has a strong influence on others, in this case making the decision is as easy as shelling pears.

For example, if the “Health” sector has the lowest scores, most likely there will be problems in “Career” and “Finance”, and maybe also in “Family”. If you find yourself in the red for “Rest”, then you should pay attention to “Relationships” and “Health”. And if there are big problems in the “Finance” sector, then all other areas will also suffer.

You can define and assemble your own puzzle. And in order to collect it, you need to find its very first element (a problematic area of life that pulls down several other areas). And it is from here that you begin to assemble your happy life.

To change your life for the better using the balance wheel, choose 2-3 areas to work with.

Define:

🤔What do you want to change in these areas?
🤔What goal do you want to achieve?
🤔What exactly will you do?

Formulate a goal correctly:

😊It should be positive. Write what you want to get in the end, and not what you want to get away from. (Correct: I want to lose weight. Wrong: I don't want to be fat).

🔬The result of the goal can be seen and evaluated. (Correct: I want to lose 10 kg. Wrong: I want to become slim).

⏳Achieving a goal has a deadline. (Correct: Until March 15, 2025. Wrong: In the near future).

🆗The goal should be “environmentally friendly”.

Carefully weigh all the pros and cons, find out whether this desire will harm anyone including yourself. For example, you may realize that you want to lose weight in too short a time, and this could be bad for your health.

Now write down an action plan and follow it systematically. Skipping steps can set you back and you won't reach your goal in time.

❗️It is important to take the first step towards change within 24 hours of setting a goal.

There is no need to be upset if you did not get the perfect drawing. Everyone has their own picture of harmony and well-being. And this is not necessarily a perfectly straight wheel.

The method of the wheel of life balance recommends that after the first practice, you repeat the experiment after 3-4 months and draw a new diagram. Create with fresh thoughts in your head. You can draw a balance wheel or print it and hang it in a visible place. This is a great motivation for action.