Hitting the Reset Button: How to Reevaluate Your Life and Meet Your Needs with IIN’s Circle of Life Tool

Ever feel like life’s just running on autopilot? Like you're constantly ticking off to-dos, but something still feels... off? It might be time for a reset—a chance to reevaluate where you are and where you want to be. Enter IIN’s Circle of Life tool, a simple yet powerful way to get your life back on track.

The Circle of Life is like a mirror for your soul—a snapshot of where you're thriving and where you’re just surviving. All it takes is a commitment to change and the courage to take a good, hard look at what's really going on in your life.

Here’s the deal:

The food you eat (secondary food) isn’t the only factor that determines your overall wellbeing—everything that’s not on your plate also has the potential to improve or diminish your health. This is what we call primary food.

The Circle of Life covers 12 key primary food areas—everything from relationships and health to career and joy. When you map out each area, you’ll quickly see which parts of your life are running smoothly and which ones need a bit of TLC (tender loving care).

Why Bother with a Reset?

Life can get messy. Maybe your career’s on track, but your relationships are feeling a bit neglected. Or perhaps you’re smashing it at the gym, but your finances are a bit of a disaster. The Circle of Life helps you see where you’re thriving and where you might need to give a bit more love and attention. It’s not about perfection; it’s about finding balance and making sure your needs are actually being met.

Because when your primary food is in harmony, making healthier dietary choices comes naturally. But when your primary food is out of sync, all the kale in the world won’t make things better.

The Circle of Life: Your Bird’s Eye View

Picture this: a wheel divided into slices, each representing a different area of your life—like physical activity, career, relationships, and joy.

By assessing how satisfied you are in each of these areas, you can visually spot where things might be a bit wobbly. It’s like a life check-up.

This isn’t just about spotting what’s wrong; it’s about celebrating what’s going right, too. Maybe your social life is thriving, but you’ve been putting off those creative projects you keep dreaming about. The Circle of Life helps you see all of that in one go, so you can start making small, meaningful changes.

How Does It Work?

Getting started with the Circle of Life is as easy as grabbing a pen and being honest with yourself.

1. Place a dot in each section to indicate your level of satisfaction in that area. A dot towards the edge of the circle indicates satisfaction, while a dot closer to the centre indicates dissatisfaction. For example, if your health is feeling great, place a dot towards the outer edge of the circle.

2. Connect the dots to see your Circle of Life.

3. Identify your current areas of focus. Determine where to spend more time and energy to cultivate balance.

Example:

Physical Activity

Aim for 30 minutes of movement daily—no need for intense exercise. Break it into three 10-minute sessions if that works better for you. Incorporate activity into your routine by taking the stairs or parking farther away. Find what you enjoy, as you're more likely to stick with it.

Home Cooking

If you rarely cook, start by cutting out one takeaway meal per week. Find easy recipes online and involve friends or family for accountability. If you cook regularly but feel stuck, try a random recipe from an old cookbook. Cook in larger quantities to save leftovers for future meals.

Home Environment

Plants not only beautify your home but also purify the air and create a calming atmosphere. Clean towels and sheets weekly, more often if needed. Remove shoes at the door to keep floors cleaner; consider comfy indoor footwear.

Relationships

Adopt a "no phones" rule during quality time with loved ones to improve engagement. Ask more specific questions like, "What’s bringing you joy today?" Focus on relationships that uplift you, and reconsider or improve those that don’t.

Social Life

Join activities that align with your interests and values. Pay attention to how social interactions affect your energy and make adjustments as needed. Healthy relationships will naturally enhance your social life.

Joy

Be intentional about finding joy in everyday moments. Have spontaneous dance parties or indulge your inner child with playful activities like jumping in leaves or visiting an amusement park.

Spirituality

Spirituality is personal and takes time to develop. Spend time in nature to evoke deep emotions, and practice mindfulness and gratitude to open yourself up to spiritual experiences.

Career

Find a career that aligns with your skills and passions. If you’re feeling burned out, it might be time to reassess your career path—consider speaking with a Health Coach. Start each workday with a grounding mantra like, “I am capable” or “I will stay calm under stress.”

Creativity

Creativity isn’t limited to traditional arts; it can be cooking, baking, or even changing up your routine. Try colouring for relaxation or switch up daily habits to spark new ideas.

Finances

Your self-worth can be tied to your financial health. Evaluate your relationship with money and aim to improve it. Use the 50-30-20 rule for budgeting, and check your finances weekly to stay on top of them.

Education

Learn something new every day—read, listen to podcasts, or start a new language. Stay curious by asking “why” more often, and consider enrolling in a course with a friend for added motivation.

Health

Wear sunscreen, stay hydrated, and nourish your body. Follow the 80/20 rule: stick to healthy routines 80% of the time, and don’t stress over the remaining 20%. Minor slip-ups are less harmful than the stress they may cause.

What does your circle look like? Is it balanced and smooth, or more like a lopsided, bumpy ride? The areas with the lowest dots are where you need to focus your energy. And don’t worry—it’s not about fixing everything at once. Small, intentional changes can make a massive difference.

The idea isn’t to judge yourself, but to use this as a guide to where you might need to focus your energy.

And here’s the best part: it’s not set in stone. Life changes, and so do your needs. What matters is that you’re checking in with yourself regularly and making adjustments as you go.

Making the Changes

So, you’ve done your Circle of Life, and maybe you’ve realised your career isn’t as fulfilling as you’d like, or your health is taking a back seat to everything else. Now what? Well, it’s time to take action—baby steps, not leaps. If your physical activity slice is looking a bit slim, start small. Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk in the morning or finally trying that yoga class your friend keeps raving about.

Or, if your finances are causing stress, perhaps it’s time to create a budget or set up a savings plan—nothing too drastic, just something to help you feel a bit more in control. The key is to pick one or two areas to focus on and gradually work on them. Small, consistent changes are what lead to the biggest shifts.

The Commitment to Change

This isn’t just a one-off exercise. It’s a commitment to yourself, to your happiness, and to your overall well-being. You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight—that wouldn’t be realistic anyway. But if you’re willing to make small changes, stay honest with yourself, and keep coming back to your Circle of Life, you’ll start to see things shift.

The magic isn’t in the tool itself but in your willingness to take what you learn and run with it. So, if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just plain tired, consider this your sign to hit the reset button.

So, are you ready to meet your needs and create a life that feels more balanced, fulfilling, and authentically you? All you need is a little honesty, a bit of courage, and the commitment to making those small changes that can lead to big, beautiful transformations. Ready, set, reset!

And if you need help, support, accountability, or motivation to get started, feel free to reach out to me. I use this tool with all my 1:1 clients to reevaluate the areas that need the most attention and draft up an action plan to reach their life and health goals together.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Hi there, I'm Kay, a certified health coach and integrated nutritionist, specialising in helping women break free from stress, heal chronic stress-related symptoms, and support their overall well-being through personalised nutrition, lifestyle adjustments, and holistic practices.

If you’re interested in a free initial consultation, let’s chat!

CONTACT