How To Get Everything You Want In Life…A Study Of Habits. (Part 4 of 4)

Welcome to the wrap-up of our 4 part series, “How to get everything you want in life…a study in habits”.

I’ve been a Life Coach (in addition to my other roles) over a decade now.  I’ve focused on people’s health for the greater part of that time while in active chiropractic practice.  Now that I’m retired from practice, I’ve been able to round out my approach to a more complete picture.

A go-to resource for me is the Wheel of Life (WOL).  The Wheel is a simple, yet profound tool to map out your satisfaction within the main 8 areas of life in visual form.  From personal relationships, to health, to wealth…you note your level of satisfaction in the area, plot it on a graph and print (or save).  This visual helps you see where you are thriving and where you may be stagnant.  When someone is actively working to transform, the Wheel of Life is an excellent litmus test for how well one is moving forward.

It’s no good to go gangbusters in one area while ignoring others.

For example, climbing to the top of the proverbial career ladder while your waistline expands, you fight constantly with your spouse, and you miss more of your kids’ softball games than you make is not living a life you love.  Sure you make lots of money, but at what expense?

A specific example…a 46 year old client of mine was in limbo.  She wondered what she should do with her life.  She’d spent the last 2 decades raising kids and getting them set on their careers (along with her husband’s) only to be left with a feeling of emptiness.  She had identified as her kids’ Mom and her husband’s wife, neglecting her own identity.

Noble, yes.  American Dream-like, sure.  But fulfilling…far from it.

We did the Wheel of Life and the results gave her great insight into where to go next.  She updated her WOL monthly to ensure as she gained ground in one area she was not losing it in another.  We worked together to  update her goals and plan of action for the each upcoming 30 days.  Over one year, she worked with laser focus and stayed the course.

What’s life like for her now?  She has her ‘dream job’ (she had put her career on the back burner), she’s lost 35 pounds (and has kept it off for 7 months now), she’s got an artist’s group with whom she paints on the regular, AND her marriage is hotter than ever!

It’s been so much fun to watch her come into her own.  NOTE:  she came to me to lose weight…look at all she’s gained as a side-effect!  Stubborn weight is often directly linked to emotional discordance.

The assessment takes all of 2-3 minutes to complete.  And it’s free no strings attached.  Just click the button to download the PDF which will walk you through the process of rating each area of your life.  Think about it for a moment, but don’t over-analyze.  When we over-analyze we often justify.  Justification is not our friend.  Answer honestly and move on.

With Wheel in hand, where do you need to focus?  Physical health?  Mental wellbeing?  Relationships?  Another area?

Now review parts 2 and 3 of our 4 part series on habits…is there something there you could work on that helps bump up fulfillment in the physical health arena?  Is there a goal that could serve as a two-fer or a three-fer?  A two-fer is something that will affect two categories, and a three-fer, three…more bang for your habit buck!

A trick of the trade is to work from a written schedule.  I’ve done this on and off over the years.  Always with the best intentions, only to let it slide in the wake of the current chaos of life.

I knew I needed to up the level of discipline…and boy-oh-boy did yours truly resist this little gem like a cat being forced into a car carrier.  It was NOT pretty…but with the right coaxing, I actually like it now.  HINT…the coaxing was the promise of living with more peace, freedom and getting to do things I wanted to do but had put on the back burner to handle the chaos that was my life.  In the spirit of authenticity, my life was perpetually in some level of chaos.  No longer is that the case.

My written (and printed) (and 3-ring bound) schedule includes sections for business and personal activities.  It includes some thinking time…say what?  (High Five!!)  Sections for my in-person schedule and allows for some flexibility should I decide to work from a cafe or set a few appointments for coffee or lunch with a prospect, friend or a colleague.

To say the least, this one thing has altered my present and my future.  I’ve already doubled my content production…this blog series is one of many in the works!

What will your life look with a robust Wheel of Life?  Dream a little, then get to work!!