"Where Do We Go From Here?"

Wheel of Life

For those of us who’ve taken the leap of faith to strike out as an entrepreneur or start-up business how do we begin the journey of discovering and uncovering our goals and dreams? Several years ago I attended a weekend coaching seminar on "finding balance" in our lives. Breaking down the elements of change we'd like to affect in our relationships. During that weekend I was taught a valuable tool that I've found to be very effective in making life changes a little easier and a lot less daunting a challenge. The "Wheel of Life" is a technique of seeing a "snapshot" of where you are presently and identifying areas for growth.

Understanding the connections between work, family, health, etc. and being able to balance those elements is the key to all-round success in business and interpersonal endeavors. Having a visual construct to recognize the individual "slices" of your life can be a first step in "working" your life/business plan.

Setup: First, draw a physical representation of the "Wheel of Life" as a circle divided into 8 compartments. Label each compartment with an area you'd like to examine and develop possible steps to make adjustments or improvements. You choose whatever aspects you'd like to consider. Some examples are: recreation, friendships, career, family, social life, health, financial, creative.

For my personal "Wheel" I've chosen the areas of: Family, Career, Finances, Personal/Spiritual Growth, Health, Recreation, Friendships and Environment.

The next step is the “Rating Process.” On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "poor" and 10 being "excellent", take a hard look at each "slice" of the “Wheel” and be truthful about how successful or in need of improvement you are in that particular area.  Remember: honesty is essential in order to chart a course for change.

Third: Now, let's use the "Rating Process" to re-evaluate our goals and set a strategic plan in action to accomplish them. Looking at each category ranking, jot down one or two actions you can take to achieve the desired goal. Don't overwhelm yourself. Take the most important area the first week and strive to review and make one or two changes each subsequent week until your "Wheel" isn't quite as lopsided.  Now we're on our way to a better understanding of ourselves and a process for achieving a more balanced and effective way of life.

Exceptional Business Ventures, Inc.

"ActionCoach Business Coaching"
"Business coaching designed to empower entrepreneurs with the knowlege and skills to actualize and enhance their business performance."

Kevan Woodson Certfied Business Coach
Phone: 612-991-0766
Email: kevanwoodson@actioncoach.com

"Let your heart pave the way, and your dreams build the view."
Carol James

"Best and Worse of Times"

Husband laid-off after 20 years! Starting our own business!! Moving to Charlotte!!!? What??

These are the "out of left field", string of events that lead to this blog. Even though I didn't even know what that term "blog" meant until about 8 months ago, I knew I had to share my vision and excitement about what I believe is the rebirth of the entrepreneur.

When I first heard the news about my husband's layoff after 20 years with the same company, the first thought that hit me was "Yes! Now I'll finally be able to get out of this freekin', frozen tundra." That reaction might sound odd but I looked at the layoff as an opportunity not a source of distress or panic. It felt like freedom to me and a chance for us to do something for ourselves, something we felt passionately about instead of giving our talents away to a company that viewed us as "just another body on the assembly line." We can no longer rely on "The Corporation" to take care of us and guarantee retirement and pensions and stability. All our beliefs about the safety net of "The Corporation" have been turned inside out. It doesn't matter what level - management to mailroom- all bets are off! No one is safe. We are all vulnerable. But, if we're not afraid and have heart, we can beat the system at its own game.

Somewhere along the line we forgot that it's the small, mid-sized businesses and entrepreneurs that are the backbone of this country and our economy. We forgot that "we the people" have the power to direct our own destiny and we don't need to rely on "The Corporation" to fulfill our "American Dream." Corporations may be slashing the positions of their "best and brightest" for the sake of the shareholders and the bottom line but in the end it will come back to bite them. More and more of us are starting our "own thing". With social networking and media we're taping into alternative methods to realize our potential and thinking in terms "outside the box."

These are truly the "Best of Times and Worse of Times." The best of times because of the chance to get back to basics. To create our own blueprint of the future. One that advances our society to the next level. But it can also be the worse of times if we don't take advantage of this moment to reach for new heights and change our shared destiny.

Exceptional Business Ventures, Inc.

"ActionCoach Business Coaching"
"Business coaching designed to empower entrepreneurs with the knowlege and skills to actualize and enhance their business performance."


Kevan Woodson Certfied Business Coach
Phone: 612-991-0766
Email: kevanwoodson@actioncoach.com

"Let your heart pave the way, and your dreams build the view."
Carol James