I first came across the Wheel of Life activity 15 years ago when my manager was training to be a life coach and I volunteered to be coached by him while he was training.
Activity overview
The Wheel of Life helps you take a holistic look at your life across different areas such as family, work and finances. It’s snapshot of where you think you are right now.
It’s especially helpful when setting goals for the new year.
How does it work?
For each life area on the wheel consider how well you think you are doing right now on a scale of 1-10. 10 being the best and 1 being the worst score.
After rating yourself in each category, reflect on which areas you want to improve and how you can do that.
Write down your goals for each area. Include things that are going well that you want to keep doing.
Wheel of Life Printable pdf
There are lots of different versions of the wheel of life. They usually have 8-14 different categories and the categories vary between wheels.
My wheel of life has evolved over the years to contain 12 categories that I have found work the best. You can get a printable copy of my Wheel of Life template emailed to you by filling in this form.
Wheel of Life category prompts
When filling in your 1-10 score for each category, I suggest starting with the first things that come to mind and exploring these prompts afterwards when considering the category more deeply and defining your goals.
Family
- How are your relationships with your family?
- Have you lost touch with someone that you want to be in contact with?
- Are there any relationships you would like to improve?
- How much quality time do you spend with your family each week?
- Are you satisfied with the balance between your personal life and family commitments?
- Do you feel supported and understood by your family?
- Are you providing the level of support you’d like to offer to your family members?
- Are there family traditions or rituals that you’d like to start, continue, or change?
- How effectively does your family resolve disagreements or conflicts?
- Are there any unresolved issues in your family relationships that you would like to address?
Friends
- How connected do you feel to your friends right now?
- Are there friends you’d like to spend more time with or reconnect with?
- Are you satisfied with the amount of time you spend with your friends?
- Are there activities you’ve been wanting to do with your friends but haven’t yet?
- Are there things you’ve been wanting to share with your friends but haven’t?
- Are there types of friendships you feel are missing from your life?
- Are there friendships that feel draining or one-sided?
- Is there a friend you’ve been meaning to thank or acknowledge?
- How would you rate the quality of your friendships?
Romance
These prompts may change depending on whether you are in a relationship, looking for a partner, or content being single.
- How connected do you feel to your partner or to your love life in general?
- Are you balancing time for yourself with time invested in your romantic relationship(s)?
- Are you satisfied with the level of emotional intimacy in your romantic relationship(s)?
- How much quality time do you spend with your partner?
- How open and honest is communication in your romantic relationship(s)?
- Are there any important conversations you’ve been avoiding in your love life?
- How often do you express love and appreciation to your partner?
- Do you feel loved and valued in your romantic relationship(s)?
- How aligned are you and your partner on long-term goals or values?
- Are there dreams or goals you’d like to share or discuss with your partner?
- Do you feel supported by your partner in your personal growth and challenges?
- Are you offering the support your partner needs in their life?
- Are there recurring issues or patterns you’d like to address in your love life?
- Are you bringing your best self into your love life and relationship(s)?
Contribution
- How much of a positive impact do you feel you are making on the world or in your community?
- Are there causes or issues you care about that you’d like to contribute to more?
- Are you satisfied with the balance of time between personal priorities and contribution?
- Does your contribution align with your values and passions?
- Are there ways you could align your skills or interests with causes that matter to you?
- How fulfilling do you find your acts of contribution or service?
- Are you satisfied with the financial support you provide to causes or organizations?
- Are there specific charities or causes you’d like to support more consistently?
- Are there community projects or groups you’ve considered joining or supporting?
- Are there opportunities to support friends, family, or colleagues in ways you haven’t yet explored?
- Are you taking steps toward creating the impact you want to be remembered for?
- What challenges or barriers make it difficult for you to contribute as much as you’d like?
- What is one small way you could contribute more to a cause or community starting today?
Finance
- What are your thoughts about your current income level?
- In what ways could you potentially increase your income or diversify your revenue streams?
- How would you describe your sense of security regarding your current financial situation?
- What steps have you taken to create an emergency fund or savings for unexpected expenses?
- How do you approach your spending habits, and what influences your financial choices?
- Where do you think you might be overspending or underspending, and why?
- What progress have you made toward managing or reducing any debt you may have?
- How do you go about creating and following a clear and realistic budget?
- In what ways could you improve how you save or invest for the future?
- What short-, medium-, and long-term financial goals have you set for yourself?
- How does money affect your stress or anxiety levels, and why?
- What financial habits or attitudes would you like to change to feel more at ease?
- How do you currently give or contribute financially, and what would you like to change?
- How confident do you feel in your ability to manage your finances and make decisions?
- What financial skills or topics would you like to explore or improve?
Environment
- How does your current living space make you feel, and why?
- What aspects of your home or workspace do you enjoy the most?
- In what ways could your physical environment better support your daily life or goals?
- What changes would you like to make to improve the functionality of your space?
- How well does your environment reflect your personal style or preferences?
- What steps could you take to make your surroundings more comfortable or inspiring?
- How do the cleanliness and organization of your space impact your mood or productivity?
- What elements of your environment (lighting, noise, décor) could be adjusted to create a better atmosphere?
- How connected do you feel to nature in your physical environment, and how might you enhance that connection?
- What small improvements could you make today to feel more at ease in your physical surroundings?
Work
This is work in the broadest sense of the word. If you’re retired, you might not have any goals in this category, but in my experience a lot of people carry on working after retirement even if its part time, seasonal or getting paid for something they enjoy.
- How do you feel about your current work or career path, and what stands out most to you?
- What aspects of your work bring you the most satisfaction or fulfillment?
- In what ways does your current work align with your long-term goals or values?
- What challenges are you currently facing in your work, and how might you overcome them?
- How do you balance the demands of your work with other areas of your life?
- What opportunities for growth or advancement do you see in your current role or business?
- How does your work environment support or hinder your productivity and well-being?
- What skills or knowledge would you like to develop to excel further in your career or business?
- What changes would you make to feel more engaged or passionate about your work?
- How do you measure success in your career or business, and how close do you feel to achieving it?
Purpose
- What do you feel is the driving force or meaning behind your life right now?
- How aligned do your daily actions feel with your deeper sense of purpose?
- What activities or moments make you feel the most alive and fulfilled?
- In what ways are you contributing to something larger than yourself?
- How would you describe the unique strengths or qualities you bring to the world?
- What legacy do you hope to create, and how are you working toward it?
- How does your current path reflect the things you value most?
- What challenges or questions are you exploring as you seek your purpose?
- What role do your passions play in shaping your sense of meaning or purpose?
- If you had unlimited time and resources, what would you focus on, and why?
Health
- How do you feel about your current fitness level, and what activities help you stay active?
- In what ways do you think your nutrition supports or challenges your overall health?
- How well do you manage your sleep, and what impact does it have on your energy and well-being?
- Are there any specific medical conditions or health concerns that you’re currently managing, and how do they affect your daily life?
- What habits or routines do you have that contribute to your physical fitness and health?
- How do you track or measure your progress in terms of fitness, nutrition, or overall well-being?
- What challenges do you face in maintaining a balanced diet, and what changes could help you improve it?
- How do you prioritize and improve your sleep hygiene, and how do you feel about the quality of your rest?
- How do you feel about your ability to manage or prevent chronic health conditions, if applicable?
- What changes or improvements would you like to make in your fitness, nutrition, or health routine to enhance your well-being?
Mindset
Your mental health, emotional health, motivation and resilience.
- How would you describe your current mindset, and what influences your thoughts and attitudes?
- When faced with challenges, how do you typically approach them, and what helps you stay resilient?
- What strategies do you use to maintain a positive or growth-oriented mindset, even during difficult times?
- How do you handle setbacks, and what have you learned about yourself through adversity?
- In what areas of your life do you feel the most mentally and emotionally resilient?
- How do you prioritize your mental and emotional health, and what practices support your well-being?
- What limiting beliefs or negative thought patterns do you notice, and how could you shift them?
- How do you process difficult emotions, and what coping strategies do you find most effective?
- How do you cultivate self-compassion, and how does it affect your mental and emotional health?
- What steps could you take today to strengthen your emotional resilience or improve your mental health?
Fun
- What activities bring you the most joy and make you feel truly alive?
- How often do you make time for fun and leisure, and what holds you back from doing so?
- What hobbies or interests have you always wanted to explore, but haven’t yet?
- How do you balance fun and relaxation with other responsibilities in your life?
- When was the last time you felt completely carefree, and what were you doing?
- What simple pleasures or small moments of fun do you currently enjoy in your daily life?
- How can you bring more playfulness or excitement into your routine?
- What experiences or adventures would you like to have in the near future to bring more fun into your life?
- How does fun or recreation contribute to your overall well-being and happiness?
- What new activities or experiences would you like to try in order to add more fun to your life?
Growth
- In what areas of your life do you feel you’ve grown the most over the past year?
- What personal or professional goals have you set for your growth, and how are you progressing toward them?
- How do you challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone for the sake of growth?
- What new skills or knowledge would you like to acquire to further your personal development?
- How do you reflect on your mistakes or setbacks, and what have you learned from them?
- What habits or practices have you adopted to encourage your ongoing growth and development?
- How do you balance the desire for growth with the need for self-compassion and acceptance?
- What books, resources, or mentors have had the greatest impact on your growth journey?
- What is one area of your life where you would like to see more progress, and how can you make that happen?
- How do you celebrate the growth you’ve achieved, and how does it motivate you to continue developing?