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Wheel of life and values worksheet: check your balance before you set goals

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By Cam Slater · 13 October 2026

Most people start goal setting by writing goals. I think that's one step too early.

Before you decide where you're going, look at where you are and what you actually care about. Two simple exercises do that: the wheel of life and a values ranking. Together they take about half an hour.

Part 1: the wheel of life

Draw a circle and split it into spokes, like a wheel. Label each spoke with an area of life. The workbook uses seven:

1. Peace of mind
2. Clear goals
3. Financial freedom
4. Relationships
5. Self-knowledge
6. Health and energy
7. Fulfilment

Change them if yours are different. If faith or family matter most to you, give them their own spoke.

Score each spoke from 1 to 10. 1 is thin. 10 is strong. Be honest; nobody else sees it. Mark the score on the spoke, with 1 near the centre and 10 at the rim. Then join the marks.

Now look at the shape. A round wheel rolls. A wheel with a flat side bumps along, however big it is.

Ask yourself three questions:

• Which spoke is lowest?
• Which one, if it went up two points, would lift the others?
• Which one am I scoring high because I'd like it to be true?

Your goals for the year probably live in the answers.

Part 2: rank your values

Goals that fight your values don't stick. They produce activity and no progress.

Write down eight to ten things that matter to you. For example: faith, family, honesty, freedom, health, security, achievement, service, learning, adventure.

Now rank them. This is the hard part. You can't have two number ones. If you had to choose between number 2 and number 3, which wins? Keep going until the list is in order.

Then check your wheel against the list. If family is your number one value and it scored a 4 on the wheel, that's your first goal right there.

Part 3: choose few

Now set goals. Not ten. Three is plenty. Each one should:

• lift a low spoke on the wheel,
• serve one of your top values, and
• have a date on it.

Write them down. Tell someone. Look at them every morning.

Get the worksheets

Your Goal Setting Plan has the wheel of life, the values rank, a year review and three goal sheets ready to print and fill in, plus a seven-minute daily page to keep it going. It comes with a free companion book on faith and goal setting. See the workbook.