This post is the fifth in a series looking at Work Life Balance. We are first going to set the scene by getting your mind thinking. Thinking about your work life balance. Analyzing your present situation is the beginning step in achieving a balanced life.
To read the first in the series – Are you struggling with work life balance?
To read the second in the series – What is work life balance?
To read the third in the series – Signs Your Work Life Balance Is Out Of Sync
To read the forth in the series – How easily we get work life balance wrong
Do you sometimes forget important family anniversaries?
Have you missed any special days for your children?
Have you had the time to have children?
Is your diary only full of work commitments?
Have you given up sports and hobbies you used to love?
Do you sometimes forget to eat lunch?
Do you find it hard to be parted from your phone and laptop – even late in the evenings and at weekends?
Does your family see what you do as a constant intrusion?
Do you sometimes go days without knowing what’s in the news?
Do you always talk about work at social functions?
By now you should have a pretty clear idea of how well balanced your life is. But we need to quantify this.
It’s time for you to accurately measure how balanced your life is right now. To do this let me take you through a questionnaire.
LIFE EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE
For each category I will read statements. Once I have completed these I want you to give yourself a mark for that category.
Between 10 where you will be totally happy, fully satisfied with your life and your achievements, and zero where you will be totally unhappy and completely dissatisfied.
Lets get going!
Physical Health & Wellness
- My body is in good shape, I’m happy with my weight and I exercise regularly, so I have lots of energy and vitality?
- I eat plenty of healthy foods for sustenance and pleasure but not for emotional comfort. I am not abusing my body with too much alcohol, caffeine or drugs?
- I have had a physical examination within the last few years and all the important measurements are at a healthy level?
- I visit my dentist and optician regularly to ensure my eyes and teeth are healthy?
- I have as much sleep as I need to function at peak performance?
- I have regular breaks, take evenings and weekends off and take the time I need to relax?
- I do not experience periods of ill health benefiting greatly from living a healthy lifestyle?
- I have a sense of inner peace and calm?
- I pace myself and respect my personal energy levels?
- I feel totally in the flow of life, finding it to be fun
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Mental Health
- I am optimistic about myself and the future ahead of me?
- I live a life of excellence and am constantly doing my best in everything I do?
- I see the positive in life having empowering beliefs helping me move forward?
- I am willing and able to stretch myself and to commit to bettering myself?
- I spend time learning new things developing my mind and skills?
- I recognise that life is a journey and am constantly learning new skills and developing my abilities?
- I am happy with who I am but know I can grow and develop even more?
- I am continually learning new things?
- I enjoy new opportunities for growth?
- I am growing as a person?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Finance & Money
- I am totally honest with myself about my financial situation? Yes/No
- I know what my expenditure levels are and live on a weekly budget which allows me to save?
- I have repaid any borrowings or have a clear plan as to how I will repay any monies I have owing?
- I am currently saving a minimum of 10% of my income?
- I understand my own beliefs about money and if any one of them is holding me back I am taking action to address it?
- I know I am earning what I deserve?
- I have a clear financial plan for the year ahead?
- I never feel held back by money or the lack of it?
- I have people around me who will support me with my financial plans?
- I feel relaxed about money and am ready and willing to open myself up to abundance?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Professional Identity, Career Development & Job Satisfaction
- I have a clear vision of the life and work I want to create?
- I am definite about my professional goals?
- I have established specific action plans and timescales for my professional goals?
- I rarely feel drained by the way I spend my day, essentially I have as much energy at the end of the day as I did at the start?
- I feel comfortable and able to fully express myself in the work I do and in the way I spend my time?
- I look forward to going to work?
- I am expert at what I do and carry out my job better than most people I know?
- I focus on my strengths and skills in the jobs I perform?
- I see my working future clearly and like what I see?
- I am totally contented with how I and my business is going?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Primary Relationship or Life Partner
- My partner makes me a better person, and I do the same for them?
- My partner and I are both comfortable with sharing feelings, relying on each other, being close, and able to avoid worrying about the other person leaving?
- We accept each other for who we are, without trying to change each other?
- When disagreements arise, we communicate respectfully and without contempt or negativity?
- We share decision-making, power and influence in the relationship?
- My partner is my best friend, and I am theirs?
- We think more in terms of “we” and “us,” rather than “you” and “I”?
- We trust each other with the passwords to social media and bank accounts?
- We have good opinions of each other – without having an overinflated positive view?
- Our relationship is free of red flags like cheating, jealousy and controlling behaviour?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Recreation, Relaxation & Personal Enrichment
- I find ways to add pleasure to my life (e.g., by watching movies, listening to music, enjoying a bath or reading).
- Laughter is a part of my life, both at work and at home.
- I participate in recreational activities that are fun for me (e.g., playing cards, picnicking, gardening or sports).
- I make time for a hobby I enjoy.
- I have enough energy to do the things that I want to.
- I never feel guilty when relaxing or enjoying myself nor think about the work I could be doing.
- I make time to ensure I am truly relaxing my mind and body.
- I am able to feel relaxed and comfortable when I get home from work.
- I find the time to do things just for me.
- I don’t waste away my free time (watching TV, sleeping too many hours).
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Secondary Relationships
- I feel a special connection with key people in my life?
- The people around me inspire me and make me feel good almost all of the time?
- People enjoy my company, I tend to be light- hearted and good fun to be around?
- I am not afraid of being true to myself or appearing vulnerable in front of other people?
- I am kind and generous to others and am openly willing to share and to give?
- I openly acknowledge people for who they are, I respect others and take an interest in their lives?
- I listen carefully and hear what people are telling me and enable them to feel completely understood?
- I am totally satisfied with my social life and actively pursue activities that I enjoy?
- I have an incredibly good social circle having great friends to hang out with, talk to, confide in, and have fun with?
- I give myself time to have fun and do the things I enjoy doing?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Love, and Intimate Connection
- I am willing to love and to give love unconditionally without expecting anything in return?
- I am very satisfied with the level of contact I have with my family?
- I benefit greatly from the intimate loving relationships I have with all my loved ones?
- I am constantly lifted by my romantic attachment and connection with my soul mate?
- I support my loved ones in what they choose to do, not imposing on them my choices leaving them free to choose for themselves?
- I feel incredibly fortunate to have a family that support me with everything I do?
- I do not have unreasonable demands placed on me by my family, in fact we live in perfect harmony with one another?
- I love the time I spend with my family and I know they love spending time with me too?
- I am proud of what my loved ones are doing with their lives?
- I know we will always be there for one another?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Physical Environment
- I keep my personal files, papers, and receipts organised and neatly filed away?
- I love my car and it is in excellent running condition, cleaned and serviced regularly?
- I live in a home that I love, in the geographic area of my choice surrounded with beautiful things with all the appliances and equipment that I could want and it’s all in good working order?
- I am enhanced and nurtured by both my home and work environment?
- I surround myself with items like music/ art/ books that make my life more enjoyable?
- I have nothing around the house or in storage that I do not need?
- I always ensure my appearance is smart, my clothes are always clean, ironed, and in good repair?
- I find my environment instils me with positivity, security and safety?
- I am satisfied with everything I have and am grateful for it all?
- I am surrounded by things that I love and have meaning to me?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
Passion, Purpose and meaning
- I am giving back to my community and the world?
- I support the communities, people, places, and issues that I care about?
- I live life full of passion, excited by what I do, knowing I can make a difference?
- I have something that I truly believe in that gives my life meaning?
- I am using my gifts and talents to help other people?
- I live a life where I’m motivated and inspired to follow my Passion and purpose?
- I know what’s important to me and have a strong sense of my direction in life?
- I understand what is unique about me and where I add value to others and consistently build on these characteristics?
- I am completely satisfied with my contribution on this my life’s journey, if I were to die today, it would be with few regrets?
- I am fully committed to doing what it takes to live the life I want?
I now want you to mark yourself for this category between ten and zero (10 – 0)
You should now have given yourself a score for all 10 areas.
WHEEL OF LIFE
To get a good visual representation of your work life balance you need to fill in a Wheel of Life. This is simply a circle divided into 10 sections. These sections represent the following categories:
- Physical
- Environment
- Love and Intimate Connection
- Passion. Purpose and meaning
- Secondary Relationships
- Physical Health & Wellness
- Mental Health
- Primary Relationship
- Finance & Money
- Professional identity
- Recreation and Relaxation
The centre of the wheel is 0 and the outside of the wheel is 10, where 0 means that you are not at all happy with this element and 10 means you are exactly where you need to be with it. In the questions above you rated each segment so you draw a line across that segment for the points you scored. Once completed this provides a very visual indication of where you are in terms of balance. Have you got a really round wheel or is it very jagged?
If you want an automated process, check out this article, where you can answer all the questions, selecting your score from a drop down box for each category, and this will complete your wheel of life automatically, so that you can print it out or save it.
Check out the Life Evaluation questionnaire and wheel of life.
Analyse And Reflect On Your Wheel
Once you have got your Wheel of Life and the visual representation of how balanced your life is, it is time to analyse and reflect on what you are looking at.
- Identify the two areas that you’re most satisfied with.
- Reflect on the two areas in which you are most satisfied, and ask yourself what’s so good about them and why ….
- Identify the two areas that you’re least satisfied.
- Do you see this as a problem, do you need to be doing better in these areas?
- What do you need do to achieve a higher level of satisfaction in these areas?
- Think of a moment in your life when you felt completely balanced. What exactly was happening? What were you doing and how were others involved? How did you feel?
- What do you need to say no to in order to achieve more balance?
- What do you need to say yes to in order to achieve more balance?
- What will happen if you don’t say yes or no to these things?
- To improve each section of your wheel what is the most important thing you need to do for each?
- This may be a change, an improvement or something to stop.
Think about these things, reflect on your wheel before you move on.
What Are The Barriers To Work Life Balance
Common excuses often given for not having a good work life balance, include:
- Time
- I should…
- Feeling guilty
- Climbing the “ladder”
- Failure to set limits
- Can’t say no
- Comparing to others
- Being a Perfectionist
- Giving People 24/7 Access to You
- Reacting to Everything Immediately
- Mistaking Busyness for Productivity
- Not been willing to delegate or cut back
I hope you do take a little time to reflect on both the wheel of life as well as your own personal barriers to a successful work life balance.
If you’re unhappy about the way things are for you at the moment, don’t worry; there’s a lot you can do to help yourself. I’m going to present these to you shortly. The first step is to commit to following through. So answer this question:
On a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being not important, 10 being top priority, how important is it that you commit to establishing a good work life balance?
In the next section we’re going to look at strategies to bring balance.
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I hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions.
