For Forums that have identified "a quest for life balance" as a common theme within the group, this exercise can give a deeper insight into the mechanics of balance. While we may commonly conjure up the scale image when thinking of balance, a more helpful metaphor for the fast-moving, ever-evolving life of the entrepreneur is that of a wheel, which transports us through our life.
If you draw a diagram of a wheel as a circle with a central hub and eight spokes, this creates eight sections, or areas, of your life. One way to express these areas is by labeling them as follows:
Career
Money
Health
Friends and Family
Significant Other/Romance
Personal Growth
Fun and Recreation
Physical Environment
Thinking of the wheel's center as a zero and the wheel's outside edge as a 10, group members can rank the level of satisfaction they have in each area of their lives by drawing a straight or curved line to create a new outer edge, which represents the "Wheel of Life."
When completed, this diagram gives Forum members a good idea of how well-rounded they are. Is the wheel fairly circular, or is it rather lumpy, making for a bumpy ride?
The second part of this exercise is to craft personal commitments around quality-of-life shifts. Commitments are different from goals. With a goal, there is a specific point in time when you have either accomplished it or not. It is measurable and specific. For example, "I will increase revenues to 10% by 2009." A commitment, on the other hand, is not measurable; it has to do with a state of being that you want to create in your life. For example, "I am committed to having joy and self-expression in my work."
Using the Wheel of Life as a guide, participants write down what they are committed to creating in each area of their lives. This exercise can be reviewed quarterly in the Forum to observe where shifts are happening and where Forum members might need support. It is also a great tool for the coach to use when advising on a Forum presentation.