Square Wheels

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Square wheels. 

Seems like a contradiction in terms, doesn't it? 

Is it possible for a vehicle to run on square wheels? 

The Mythbusters tried it out with little success. It was a very bumpy ride and the wheels disintegrated along the way. The truck couldn't pick up much speed and it didn't go very far either.

Maybe you’re trying to go through life on square wheels, and are wondering why things aren't working out for you. You have goals and ambitions, but somehow they remain out of reach. You can’t seem to pick up speed and in some areas things are starting to fall apart along the way. Your life is one continuous bumpy ride.

In my previous post I introduced the concept of Life Areas.

The ‘Wheel of Life’ is one of the basic tools that I use as a coach to help my clients evaluate their lives.

This is a very simple yet powerful tool to help you identify the areas of your life that you have neglected and need to prioritize more in future. It helps you think about where you are now and where you want to be in the future.

Give yourself a score of 0 to 10 depending on how satisfied you currently are in relation to each area on the wheel. 0 is pretty much as unhappy as you can be, whereas 10 is the perfect score. Take the centre of the wheel as 0 and the outer edge as 10. As you score each area, it is vital to be honest so that you can identify the areas for change and set goals to improve the key areas of your life.

I have left two blanks in the wheel for you to fill in any other categories that may be more relevant to your life.

When you have scored all areas, join the points on each section to draw a wheel. This will show you how balanced your life is overall and the areas you really need to focus on and set goals for improvement.

Below is an example of what your completed wheel could look like.

After you have completed the wheel put a date on it and then review it at least every 6 months. Hopefully you will have made significant improvements in your key areas but may find that another area now requires your focus instead.

Get a printable copy of the wheel of Life from the resources page on my website http://www.drmary-livingonpurpose.com

Learn more tools for empowered living in the next post.

Prof Stan Wagon on his square wheel bike at Macalester College

Life Areas

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and that your body may keep well, even as I know your soul keeps well and prospers (3 John 2)

We are in a series of posts exploring the truth about who you are.

The most recent posts dealt with the truth that you are a multi-dimensional being – body, soul and spirit.

This truth gives rise to your different life areas.

Your life is made up of several components.

These are basically:

Spiritual	-        your relationship with God
Social	-        your relationships with other people
Intellectual	-        your mind
Physical	-        your body
Emotional	-        your emotions

To be more practical, life areas are usually broken up further into life components that you can actually identify in your everyday life.

Partner/ Romance/Significant Other	Career
Family	Finances
Friends	Physical Environment/Home
Health & Well-being	Spiritual Well-being
Personal Growth/Learning	Fun/Recreation/Leisure
Community	Contribution

A basic understanding of the different life areas is fundamental to living on purpose.

Once you recognize your life areas, you gain an awareness of your life priorities. You can then start to set significant life goals and create a balanced, meaningful, and fulfilling life.

In the next post I will give you tools to help you along the road to understanding your life areas.

Living Holistically

May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being – spirit, soul and body – free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thessalonians 5:23)

He had it all. He was a world champion, unbeatable, at the top of his game. Then allegations of unfaithfulness and adultery emerged. Chaos rocked his home, a scandal reverberating in headlines at every street corner. He dropped from his exalted position into obscurity, never quite regaining his former glory.

She was a child star, rising to fame even before she was old enough to spell her own name. Her adult life disintegrated into drunken binges and drugs, depression, divorce and damaging relationships.

He was a super star, revered by fans all over the world. One night he jumped out of a window, falling to his death several stories below. There was no note left behind to pacify the question burning in everyone’s heart – Why?

This is the next vital key to understanding the truth about who you are.

You need to know the truth that you are a multi-faceted being.

You comprise a body, soul and spirit.

Your life consists of several life areas.

If you focus on any life area to the exclusion or detriment of the others, you will never truly be a success.

Every life area impinges on the others, and failure or deficiency in one area inevitably affects the others.

It is a tragedy when executives rise to the pinnacle of the corporate ladder only to discover that the victory is hollow. Every close relationship was sacrificed on the journey to the top and there is no one left to enjoy it with them.

It becomes meaningless to finally achieve financial security only to be unable to live the life of your dreams because you neglected your health and are now hindered by a debilitating disease.

Living on purpose means living holistically.

Living on purpose means living with balance.

Learn more about developing an empowering belief system in the next post.