How to overcome that overwhelming feeling

I often find myself drowning in a sea of solvable problems.

There is just so much to do. All. The. Time.

We make choices all day on what we’ll spend our time on. Mulitasking is a myth, any time spent on A is time not spent on B. We are always sacraficing. It’s easy to sacrafice in an area for too long.

This tool can help bring that to the surface in 6 quick steps.

The Wheel of Life:


1️⃣ Draw a circle
2️⃣ Divide it into 6 segments, like pieces of pie
3️⃣ Label each segment with the “Dimensions of Life”. Here are mine:
   – Family
   – Relationships
   – Career
   – Money
   – Fitness
   – Mindset
4️⃣ Color in each segment with how you feel in that moment
5️⃣ Reflect on the results. Can you improve anything
6️⃣ Set a goal, track it.

It will look like this:

I used this a few years ago to help my family get out of a rut. Our four year old was kicking and screaming before school which was making me late to work, and late to home. I had no time for myself. But The Wheel of Life gave us an opportunity to reflect on the root cause of the vicious cycle. We set a simple goal, and used that goal to turn everything around in a single week.

For more on builiding resilience, check out this three part series:

author avatar
Evan Hickok
Evan Hickok has over twenty years of experience designing and managing high-complexity systems in high-consequence environments. As a Systems Engineer and Program Manager, he has guided projects through every phase of the product life cycle—from concept, detailed design, transition to production, production, installation & activation, and operational support. A dedicated researcher of team dynamics, Evan focuses on building high-performing teams capable of delivering exceptional results in the most challenging environments. He shares his insights and frameworks in the Lighthouse Leadership newsletter, published almost weekly at evanhickok.com.

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