The Wheel of Life: How Tony Robbins Succeeds

LeadershipPurpose

21 Jul

Written By Stella Yann

You might think of balance as the middle ground between:

2 Aspects: Work and life
3 Aspects: Work, personal life and social life
4 Aspects: Work, family, friends and community

Your approach is not wrong if you subscribe to one of the ideologies above, but there's more to the story.

Tony Robbins, one of the most established motivational speakers, uses The Wheel of Life to determine one's success based on not 2, 3 or 4, but 7 areas of life!

Let's look into them.

1. HEALTH

Without your health, you cannot have a meaningful, fulfilling and impactful life – to the best of your abilities. Treasure the body you've been given and give it your best care to help it help you channel more of your potential during your lifetime.

Our physical health is easy to ruin and difficult to maintain. This is a master lesson from all the most successful people, including Tony Robbins: the more you value your health, the more you will accumulate wealth. Health is wealth!

2. MEANING

To live a meaningful life, you must give it meaning. What's your passion? What excites you to be alive? What are the activities that help you get lost in the flow zone?

If you had all the money in the world, how would you spend your time? That's where you'll find the key to your meaning!

Use your mind to map out the trajectory of your success. Then listen to your heart to figure out how to proceed next! Your emotions are a powerful compass once you learn how to tap into your intuitive side.

3. LOVE

The longest study on happiness has proven to us that relationships affect our wellbeing and they are crucial not only for our success, but also for our mental health.

Who's in your inner circle? Who are the people whose opinion you value the most? Who are the people you would trust with your heart, dreams and goals, and even your fears? Who are the people you'd like to co-create and build with?

We need each other to live abundantly and meaningfully. We need healthy relationships to be successful in life! If you don't have the right people beside you, exit the scene and go enter new rooms – your soul tribe is looking for you, too.

4. PROGRESS

This part of The Wheel of Life is actually referred to as Productivity & Performance, but ultimately it's your ability to progress with your goals.

Have you ever felt stuck in life? You kept showing up to work, for chores, in connections and it felt like Groundhog Day (the movie) – the same day all over again on repeat for months or even years.

Tony Robbins asks:

"Can you perfectly manage your day and achieve every outcome, every activity, cross off all your to-dos and still be unfulfilled by that day? Yes or no?"

Movement and performance does not always equal achievement. But are you clear about where you really want to go and what you really want to accomplish?

To be productive while being focused on the wrong targets will get us nowhere near the success we deeply desire on a soul level. In order to get there, we have to be honest with our true ambitions and intentions.

5. CAREER

Have you noticed how many different life aspects we covered before looking into one's job, business or career? This is why the simplified work/life balance graph often fails to capture what truly matters in our pursuit to be successful and fulfilled with our routine.

Let's turn to another powerful reframe from Tony Robbins:

"Is it work, is it a career, or is it a mission? [...] If it's your mission, it's beyond you. If it's your mission, it's about serving beyond yourself. And when it's your mission, it's something you love at a different level than you could ever love a career."

One's calling is a huge gravitational force that has the power to take you all over the world and keep you wanting to give more of yourself to serve all of humanity. Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur-to-be, a passionate executive or a beginner at your career, there's wisdom in examining your work through a spiritual lens, which in turn will allow you to be more generous with the potential you channel into the world.

"If business is a spiritual game, then it's really falling in love with those your serve."

When you're choosing your employer or employees, consider what value they bring to your mission and how you can be of value to their mission: that's the enlightened approach to co-creating side by side on Earth! 🌍

6. LIFESTYLE

Many people begin their adulthood years with the goal to be financially independent (and filthy rich), but placing money at the core of your mission is simply not the most sustainable or abundant way to live your life.

When we think of lifestyle, we often imagine other people's reactions to how we're living opposed to the enjoyment of all the luxuries that we might be able to obtain. To have a wealthy lifestyle is as subjective as it is to be fulfilled throughout your lifetime!

Gratitude is a magic ingredient that can help you transform any losses and limitations as you're envisioning reaching new heights, but remember that the gold's within you: it's your potential that you're yet to channel into the world with your purposeful work and authentic presence.

7. IMPACT

We close the circle that completes The Wheel of Life with Impact & Leadership. Arguably, impact is what gives our life the most meaning – being of service to the lives of others beyond your own self-actualisation.

"The deepest drive within a human being is a sense of meaning. A sense of meaning comes from growing and giving!"

Incentives matter, but don't just do things for the rewards that are on the other side. Think of the impact you can leave behind you – your legacy – by choosing to invest your time in making the world a better place within your chosen industry or as part of your mission!

Tony Robbins refers to this area as "C&C": contribution and celebration. This is where the final reframe comes into play:

"Without celebration, life is empty!"

Find the middle ground between contribution & celebration and you'll ace your work both as a contributor and leader in society (and skilfully avoid the zone of burnout).

THE WHEEL OF LIFE

Take the Wheel of Life Assessment and get a glimpse at your own profile. I'd personally recommend drawing it on a piece of paper with 7 coloured pencils or crayons and bringing your status quo to a visual representation.

What are the aspects where you're lacking points (1-10)? What are the areas of your life where you'd like to expand your presence and shift your focus to in the next 6 months?

Think of your Wheel of Life like a Dream Catcher for your goals – you're the Spider Creator that's masterfully weaving the spider's web that's going to bring to life all of your dreams: one day and one goal at a time!

Did you find this blog post useful? Leave a comment with your thoughts! There’s also a book club if you fancy a big book every month. Join here