INTRODUCTION:

The holistic goal is critical in managing holistically. Your actions and management strategies should be directed toward your goal. Your holistic goal is the “guiding light” for any decision-making. The holistic goal includes your quality of life (based on your personal values), your forms of production (how you will support your quality of life), and your future resource base (what you and your environment must “look like” to accomplish and enhance your forms of production and quality of life).

The purpose of this exercise is to begin clarifying a personal living (or temporary) holistic goal. By doing so you will be determining and evaluating your personal values.

*YOUR WHEEL OF LIFE

Put your name in the hub of the wheel, then put an “X” in relation to your satisfaction on each of the spokes of your life. (“1” being not satisfied, and “10” being very satisfied with your accomplishments in that spoke.) The following is a brief guide in helping you make your decisions:

FAMILY - Do you enjoy your relationship with your family?

COMMUNITY - Are you an active participant working for something or

somebody, rather than opposing people and issues?

EDUCATION - Comprises all learning experiences and is more than formal

classroom activities. The pursuit of education should be a continual, life-long process enjoyed for itself, not only as a necessary requirement for a specific goal.

CAREER - Are you in, or working toward, your desired career goal? The

big question here is, do you generally look eagerly forward

to Monday - or Friday? If your answer is “Friday”, then

maybe you should consider re-evaluating your career choice.

FINANCES - Finances are not about possessing tremendous net worth - or

sizable current income, but are about providing adequate

income for today, tomorrow, and for years to come, in which

you feel financially comfortable.

HEALTH - Optimal health positively affects all areas of your life, and makes

every endeavor possible. Health refers to both your physical

and mental well-being.

LEISURE - Leisure time is a reprieve from the normal routine. Are your

pastimes fulfilling, stimulating, pleasurable and relaxing?

Leisure time may be combined with other “quality of life”

factors which provide a balanced life. Whether an activity is

leisure or work depends largely on your own perception.

SPIRITUALITY - Spirituality has to do with your personal beliefs, and ethical

practices. Spirituality need not be the same as religion.

Some religious people may not really be “spiritual” and some

spiritual people may not necessarily be “religious”. There are

many ways to help others, but offering a “helping hand” instead of a “handout” produces longer lasting results.

After you have placed “X’s” on each spoke, connect the “X’s” with a line that will represent your wheel. As you roll through life, how will your ride feel? - bumpy? -smooth? If it’s round, but small - how fast will the hub (you) have to turn to keep up? This exercise will help you in writing your holisticgoal.