Have you ever found yourself caught in the whirlwind of life, wondering why certain areas feel like they're thriving while others are overwhelming and stressful? Or maybe that all areas of your life were coming apart at the seams.
I know I've been there...
This can happen to any of us, no matter what responsibilities our life holds. For me personally, I started to feel like my life was coming apart at the seams after my third son was born. I was working full-time, a mom full-time, my mom was still in treatments following her breast cancer diagnosis… stress was coming at me from multiple areas of my life.
Although I never felt like I was failing in any specific area, I also didn’t feel like I was succeeding. The hardest part, though, was I had no idea where to start looking to fully understand what that pit in my stomach was. I knew I wasn’t happy with the way my life was going, but I didn’t know specifically what was missing.
I just knew there was something more I needed in my life.
Enter the Work/Life Areas Assessment
What I didn’t realize I needed at the time was an assessment. I needed a set of questions that could help me gauge how the different aspects of my life were going. Was I satisfied with where they were going? Were there specific areas of my life that I was neglecting, which was leading to that pit in my stomach? How could I know what that area was if I wasn’t paying attention to it now?
One of my favorite tools to go through with my clients first is the Work/Life Areas Assessment. I have tried many kinds of assessments over the years, and this one is one of my favorites. Perhaps because it is one of the easiest to go through. Sometimes life becomes too large of a puzzle. When you are in the midst of it, it can be difficult to pull back and see the bigger picture.
That is where the assessment can help.
Although it’s nearly impossible to create the perfect assessment for everyone, I did create this one for my Work/Life Management coaching clients to help them get a starting point towards their work/life mastery. There have been many books and studies written about the use of similar assessments – the Wheel of Life as an example. They find that using self-assessments like these can improve self-esteem, self-awareness, and even energy and motivation to make changes in your life that have the biggest impact on fulfillment and satisfaction. And, let’s face it, helping us find a way to bring joy back into our lives.
At least that’s what it’s done for me.
What exactly is a work/life areas assessment?
Think of it as a light shining down onto the various areas of your life, helping you see more clearly. It will open your eyes to areas that you have been neglecting. Not to say that you are purposely letting certain areas drop, but perhaps you have fallen down the trap of thinking that your work is your most important area.
Many people, including my clients, have gone through the work/life areas assessment only to realize that they have been focusing on only 2 or 3 areas of their life, neglecting the rest. Typically, especially for working parents, one of the biggest life areas that gets neglected are related to our own self. In a time that people feel making time for self-care as a luxury, I always come back to reminding my clients the analogy of the oxygen mask in an airplane.
You must put your mask on first before you help others. If you pass out before you can help them, where does that leave them?
Or, you need to sometimes be a little “selfish” to have the energy and capacity to be “selfless”.
Now, I do an assessment like this at least once a month. Sometimes, even weekly! I find it helpful not only to ensure that I don’t let something drop again, but also to directly see the impacts of my weekly planning and goals on my overall work/life satisfaction and fulfillment.
Excited to dive into your own journey of self-discovery? Head over to Downloads to get the Work/Life Areas Assessment Workbook—a tool crafted to guide you through the assessment process. It's not just a workbook - it's your compass towards a more fulfilling and balanced life.
Remember, this journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time, embrace the process, and let the assessment be your trusted companion as you navigate towards Work/Life Mastery.
Reflection question for your Work/Life Mastery:
What specific areas of your life do you feel could use a bit more attention and fulfillment?
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