Think about what needs to be done now and what can wait, or maybe even be done by someone else? It’s difficult to get everything checked off your to-do list when it all appears to be important. Ask yourself, 'What would the ideal level of attention be for you in each area?' Then plot those points on your wheel as well.

Remember that a balance life does not mean getting a 5 in each area since some dimensions require more attention and focus than others at any time. Following the Wheel of Life model, consider your ideal level for each of the defined dimensions. Once you determine where you spend your time, you can begin to prioritize. Does your life wheel look and feel balanced? What's Your Priority? Consider each dimension in turn, and on a scale of 0 (low) to 10 (high), write down the amount of attention you're devoting to that area in your life and mark each score on the appropriate spoke on the wheel. Now connect the dots you made around the circle. The next part of the process assumes that you will be happy and fulfilled if you can find that right balance for each area. Using the shape of a wheel you will then write down each dimension to begin constructing your visual. You can take a few different approaches including evaluating the roles you play, the areas that you value most, or your own combination of different factors. Start off by brainstorming your life areas and identify six to eight dimensions that are important. Mind Tools provides an excellent work life balance assessment that involves constructing a Wheel of Life to give you a vivid visual representation of the way your life is currently, compared to the way you'd ideally like it to be. The first step is take an inventory of your typical day. (Although I hear people routinely say, “If I just had a few more hours I could get this all done.” Yeah? I don’t think so.) Unfortunately, we have to work with the limited amount we are given and that’s where the balancing act comes in. Can you really manage time? After all, you only have so many hours in a day. I would respond by asking, “What is everything?” A big part of balancing work and life is managing your activities which ultimately relies on your ability to successfully management of time. “But I don’t have enough time to get everything done,” you say.

Work-life balance is a daily effort to make time for family, friends, community participation, spirituality, personal growth, self-care, and other personal activities, in addition to the demands of the workplace.” This is a perfect starting point to begin our evaluation. The Balance Careers defines work life balance as “a concept that supports the efforts of employees to split their time and energy between work and the other important aspects of their lives. The guilt associated with not being fully in the moment can be stressful.You may be present physically, but are you there mentally?.And when you’re at home are you thinking about what you need to accomplish at work?.When you’re at work are you thinking about what you need to do at home?.Consider where your mind is by asking yourself a few simple questions such as:

Why do so many people want to achieve work life balance, or at least come close to it? One of the biggest reasons and benefits is that by controlling our time is for stress relief. Based on a few basic questions and work life balance assessment tools you can discover what it means in your life. The process involves understanding ourselves and the forces that are at play in our daily schedules. There are some great definitions out there that can get us started but what it really comes down to is evaluating what our personal values and experiences are. In order to analyze our own work life balance we have to first define what it means.

The wheel of life assessment