This week it’s time to get back to the basics. Although I refer to the “7 spokes” almost every week, it has been quite some time since we talked on the blog about what they are.
Our lives are a complex balance of many areas. If you’re anything like me, you often feel like an octopus trapped in a human body trying to balance more plates on your hands than possible. It’s normal.
In the Ziglar model I teach, we focus on 7 spokes of the Wheel of Life:
Mental
Physical (Health)
Spiritual
Personal (Self-Care)
Family
Career
Finances
Personally, I like to add an 8th bonus spoke that I track in my life, which is Philanthropy.
When I work with my coaching clients on achieving balance in their lives, the goal is never, ever to create an even wheel. There is no sense in striving for a goal that cannot be achieved. In the rare instances when it is achieved, it is never sustainable. That simply isn’t how life works.
Balance is when each of the spokes is healthy, stable and strong. Some areas may be stronger than others. Some may need more support and attention than others. This makes you human.
Each and every week as I assist in guiding my clients toward creating the lives they desire, the goal we are always working to achieve is growth. Growth is the goal.
My recommendation to everyone in the goal setting process is to ensure that you are intentionally monitoring each of these areas of your life, and looking for room for improvement. When any one of these areas are weak, they will drag down all the others.
Some spokes, when they become particularly high, can raise up the others. If someone is ever uncertain of which spoke to focus on first, I always recommend the mental spoke. It is the one spoke that when improved to the highest level you can attain, will naturally raise all the others.
The other spokes, it may not work out the same. You can have all the money in the world and lack strong relationships or your health. You can have the closest family ties and be completely broke. You can get into the best shape of your life while your career is suffering.
However, your mental spoke will lift up all the others. When you see things with a healthy perspective, are filled with gratitude, feel confident in your own skin, overflow with joy and have a positive attitude, the abundance will help every other spoke rise.
In January, I led a free five day mental fitness challenge. If you missed out on the opportunity and would love to take a peek at the material we covered, I am opening it back up. You can enter your email here and Monday-Friday next week, you will receive tips each morning to help you improve your mental spoke.