This tool explores a family’s overall well-being, prioritize areas of life to work on, and set initial goals. Parents can use The Wheel of Life to illustrate and communicate the landscape of their lives.
- Review the different parts of life on the wheel.
- Ask participants “How satisfied are you with this part of your life?” Give each part of the wheel a score from 1-10. 1 means very unsatisfied and 10 means very satisfied.
- Ask participants to shade in the wheel based on their scores.
- Use the reflection questions to identify the areas where the parent and their family have strengths and successes.
- Ask the parent “What are the 2-3 parts of your Wheel of Life that you would like to improve?” Ask questions to identify goals, support, and opportunities to make progress.
Helpful Hints:
- Build Relationships Use the tool to build rapport with the participant whether they are willing to share openly or only respond with short statements.
- Use a Strengths-Based Approach Celebrate and shine light on strengths and what has worked well, even in areas that participant’s said need work.
- Follow the Parent’s Lead Ask questions to understand what each numbered score means to the parent. For example, a “10” in finances may mean that they no longer have a bill collector calling them, or it could mean that they have enough money to cover bills each month and are saving for college. A “1” in transportation may mean that they are taking public transportation to work, but that it is nearly an hour-and-a-half commute.
- Connect to Other Family-Centered Tools Discuss how the participant’s answers compare with their responses from My Hopes and Dreams. Reflect on how the parent might draw on their support network identified with the Who Is in My Family? tool.
- Include Families Discuss the questions together and then have the parent complete the answers at home, maybe including family members in the conversation, and bring them back for the next meeting. Listen for how each area may relate to additional family members.
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The-Wheel-Of-LifeThe Prosperity Agenda provides these resources as the designated national administrator of Family-Centered Coaching.