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According to a study by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, 78% of us fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s kicking a bad habit, sorting out our finances or hitting the gym, this figure is alarmingly high.

I’ve never attempted any New Year’s resolutions but in 2013, things are going to change and I’m going to take the plunge by committing to some personal goals I want to achieve. It’s a bold move for me as I’m usually the type of person that enjoys a reactive journey and finds the process of long-term goal setting rather challenging.

The inspiration driving this change came from a discovery made at a coaching workshop which introduced me to the Wheel of Life. This fantastic tool provided clarity on where I was in my life and gave me a new perspective on goal setting.

So I thought I would share this with everyone ­– especially those who are about to decide their all-important New Year’s resolutions.

Originally developed by the late Zig Ziglar, the Wheel of Life is a simple yet powerful tool that helps you gain an insight into the balance of your life and how satisfied you are in certain areas. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the tool, the Wheel of Life has eight areas:

1. Family/Friends
2. Partner/Significant Other/Love
3. Career
4. Health
5. Physical Environment (or Home)
6. Fun (or Hobbies or Leisure)
7. Personal Growth (or Learning or Personal/Self-development)
8. Money

Firstly you need to write each of these within the inner core of the wheel so that it looks something like this:

(If you want to replace any of above, you are free to do so – this is your wheel that represents your life.)

You need to then rate how satisfied you are on a scale of 1 (unsatisfied) to 9 (highly satisfied) in each of the eight areas. When you are done rating how you feel about each area of your life, plot the numbers on the spokes of the wheel and connect them together.

Does your wheel look and feel balanced? If you are like most people, it will be lop-sided. If you have completed this part honestly then you’ll notice that some areas need attention while there will be other areas that are going well for you.

A completed wheel provides you with a visual representation of your satisfaction levels and allows you to quickly and easily identify the main focus areas in your life. You can use the next layer of the wheel to write down personal goals you want to achieve in the these ‘unsatisfied’ areas and finally use the outer layer to list bite sized actions that will help you on your journey to success.

“Life is like a steering wheel, it only takes one small move to change your entire direction.”
- Kellie Elmore

It is as easy as that, so have a go at completing the Wheel of Life before commencing those New Year’s resolutions and you will be rewarded with an extra bit of ‘steer’ on where your focus should be in 2013.

I hope it helps. Good luck! Click here to start your journey Wheel-of-Life.pdf

P.S. This blog was originally posted on NKD Learning  http://nkdlearning.co.uk/2013/01/the-wheel-of-life/ but thought you would like to see it!