STRATEGIC LIFE COACHING LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK

BALANCE

HOW TO ACHIEVE LIFE BALANCE

IN A WORLD THAT'S FOREVER
GETTING FASTER

CREATED BY KAIN RAMSAY

STRATEGIC LIFE COACHING

A WORKBOOK FOR

BRINGING
YOUR LIFE
BACK INTO
BALANCE
By Kain Ramsay

WITH THE WORLD MOVING AT A FASTER PACE THAT WHAT IT EVER HAS DONE
SO BEFORE, IS FINDING BALANCE IN LIFE POSSIBLE, OR IS IT JUST A MYTH?
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 1

HOW TO ACHIEVE LIFE BALANCE IN A

WORLD THAT'S FOREVER GETTING FASTER
Todays fast moving world has made it harder than ever to bring balance into the highly unbalanced lifestyles, of
millions of people from all around the globe.

But what if it was possible to stop the unwanted cycle of stress, fatigue and frustration and bring balance back into your
life? Is life balance genuinely possible, or is it just a cruel and heartless myth?

A few years ago I learned (the hard way) that nothing in life Those in life, who learn to manage themselves (and their
is ever as chaotic as it seems. Nothing is worth diminishing time) are those who usually go on to accomplish great
our health over. Nothing is worth poisoning ourselves into things. There's an ancient Chinese proverb which states;
a pit of stress, anxiety and personal chaos.
'The person who can manage themselves, is an
There have been times in the past where I would individual who's fit enough to govern a nation.'
physically (and mentally) exhaust myself due to working
irregular 12-14 hour days. Throughout this season of my When we become entrenched in a high-stress, busy and
life, I was committed to reaching given targets, breaking diary filled lifestyle, we tend not to look outside of our
company records, beating personal bests and fighting my 'boxes'. Unless something shakes us up, we can easily fail
way up the corporate food chain. to recognise even the most practical options that are
available for us to bring calm and balance back in our lives.
I can vaguely remember a discussion with an old
colleague on this topic. At one point in the conversation I Although we all have different interpretations of what
said 'Yeah, but what can you do, a man gotta eat!' and he work-life balance looks like, most people, in principle,
answered, 'There's always something you can change, and share a similar idea of what life balance means; to have
there's always something you can do.' available time for doing the things we're passionate about,
outside of a work focussed environment.
Although this statement was very simple, it hit home pretty
hard and resonated with me on a very deep level (like one For some people, life balance could mean time spending
of those life defining moments). more time with family, more time available to dedicate to
self-improvement, or even having more time to spend at
As I began to think about it, I recognised what had just the gym getting our bodies into better physical shape.
been said to me as true. We each have a choice about
how we invest (or waste) the time that is given to us. There are a few occasions during our brief time on planet
Earth when we experience great flashes of personal
We all have moments when we allow others to cause us insight, great moments of truth that immediately change
to react emotionally, especially in frustration or anger (at the course of our lives forever.
times when we're not getting the things we want). Often
we regret these responses later, and we vow never to Most of those experiences result from our most significant
allow ourselves to behave like this again. life failures, not from our biggest successes.
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 2

It is often from the failures that so many of us learn lasting Life balance is an ongoing process, which will always be
lessons that completely transform our perspective shaped by the strategies we have for managing our lives.
towards life (and especially life balance). It's within the strategies that we can wind up misplacing
our priorities, and find ourselves falling out of balance.
People often assume that achieving life balance is about
making radical life changes, but this is seldom true. Radical This questionnaire has been designed to give you a holistic
life changes will always take time and can often be overview of all your seven most important life areas,
difficult to implement. before identifying the particular life area's that you need to
make immediate improvements in.
For most of us, its wiser to adopt the mantra one step at a
time, because making minor adjustments in our main life An ancient proverb says, The journey of a thousand miles
areas can end up having a huge long-term impact. begins with a single step. You've probably known people
nearing the end of their lifes journey who looked back on
So, having read this far, Im hoping that you have some the life they'd lived, and said, If only I'd done things
idea about areas in your life that you'd like to make these differently. If only I'd made better choices .... If only I'd
adjustments. But if not, that's no problem, because, over spent more time with my family or kids .....
the forthcoming pages, well approach your life (and the
topic of life balance) in a structured and 'balanced' way. Unfulfilled lives are always filled with If only's .... These
are the last words of those people who's lives were over
The following exercise will help you to 'break your life before they even got started. Life is full of countless
down' into seven main areas so that you can identify the opportunities, for great successes and even more
specific areas in your life that are currently 'out of balance.' significant failures.
Because it's these very areas which are most likely causing
you the most amount of stress and frustration. But ..... it's up to you to take the initiative, to make use of
every opportunity that comes your way. Because if you
People with a healthy life balance have clear prioritisation don't, ou stand at risk of being condemned to a life of
between work (which incorporates their career, education mediocrity and no-one want's this!
and ambitions) and lifestyle (which combines their health,
leisure & relationships. So don't delay - complete this life
balance questionnaire today.
No one in life is perfect, and no-one will ever achieve
complete contentment in all of their primary life areas.
However, it is always possible to establish a better balance
- and 'all going well', this is what you're about to do!

"My point is, life is about balance. The

good and the bad. The highs and the
lows. The pina and the colada."
Ellen DeGeneres
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 3

The late personal development expert Stephen Covey Many of us can 'overload' in life as a result of the demands
once suggested that: associated with our work and our home lives.

Without a clear focus on our guiding values and priorities, This overload comes as we attempt to manage (and
each of us runs a real risk of successfully climbing a very maintain) our relationships, our physical health, manage
long ladder only to find it leaning against the wrong wall. our finances, our routine responsibilities and even provide
service within our local communities.
This is why our core priorities are worth regular
consideration, repeatedly, habitually and anytime were The questionnaire over the following pages has been
about to devote time and energy to a new given pursuit. designed to give you a balanced overview of all your most
important life areas.
Areas of Importance: There are certain areas in life that are
important for all of us. These are mainly: Upon completion, you'll be able to identify the specific life
areas you really want to make changes in today.
Social & Family Relationships
Career & Educational Aspirations "Grow with discipline. Balance intuition
Money & Personal Finances
with rigor. Innovate around the core.
Physical Health, Recreation & Leisure
Lifes Routine Responsibilities Don't embrace the status quo. Find new
Giving Back to Society & Contribution
ways to see. Never expect a silver
Mental, Emotional & Inner Wellbeing
bullet. Get your hands dirty. Listen with
The importance that various people place on these life empathy and overcommunicate with
areas will always differ. However, if we can become able to
maintain an element of focus in all of our life areas, we will
transparency. Tell your story, refusing to
be made more likely to achieve this healthy life balance. let others define you. Use authentic
experiences to inspire. Stick to your
When we define those areas of importance, we create
awareness within us of values, they are your foundation. Make
what areas in our lives
the tough choices; it's how you execute
need to be improved
upon while taking a that counts. Be decisive in times of
huge step towards crisis. Be nimble. Find truth in trials and
achieving greater
life balance.
lessons in mistakes. Be responsible
for what you see, hear,
and do. Believe."
Howard Schultz
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 4

MAIN LIFE AREA 1: Work through the questions & grade your answers
from 1 10 with 1 being High importance, and 10
SOCIAL AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS being Low importance.

1 How important are your family relationships? ____ / 10

2 How satisfied are you with your family relationships? ____ / 10

3 I am close to my parents and our relationships are healthy. ____ / 10

4 I am close to my children and our relationships are healthy. ____ / 10

5 The people who matter the most in my life accept me. ____ / 10

6 How important are strong social relationships to you? ____ / 10

7 How satisfied are you with your social relationships? ____ / 10

8 I have close friendships with people I can be myself around. ____ / 10

9 I have a good social network/ am part of social groups. ____ / 10

10 I am generally good at connecting with new people. ____ / 10

11 I get along with my neighbours and the people in my area. ____ / 10

12 How satisfied are you with your romantic relationship/s? ____ / 10

13 How happy are you with the overall quality or your relationships? ____ / 10

Notes: Write a personal vision statement about about an area/s in your relationships that youd like to make changes in:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ "Man maintains his balance, poise, and
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
sense of security only as he is moving
_________________________________________________________________________ forward." - Maxwell Maltz
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 5

MAIN LIFE AREA 2: Work through the questions & grade your answers
from 1 10 with 1 being High importance, and 10
CAREER & EDUCATION ASPIRATIONS being Low importance.

1 How important are career achievements to you? ____ / 10

2 How satisfying are your career achievements to date? ____ / 10

3 How fulfilled are you in your current work environment? ____ / 10

4 How much do you look forward to going to work each day? ____ / 10

5 Does your career stimulate and develop you as a person? ____ / 10

6 Do you have a healthy & rewarding work/ life balance? ____ / 10

7 Is your career moving you forward in advancement and reward? ____ / 10

8 How important are strong working relationships to you? ____ / 10

9 How satisfied are you with your current working relationships? ____ / 10

10 Is your working environment positive and supportive? ____ / 10

11 Do you find contentment and fulfilment in your current career? ____ / 10

12 How urgently would you like a career change? ____ / 10

13 If you died today, are you happy with the legacy youll leave behind? ____ / 10

Notes: Write a personal vision statement about about an area/s in your career or education that youd like to make changes in:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ "There is no decision that we can make
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
that doesn't come with some sort of
_________________________________________________________________________ balance or sacrifice." - Simon Sinek
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 6

MAIN LIFE AREA 3: Work through the questions & grade your answers
from 1 10 with 1 being High importance, and 10
MONEY & PERSONAL FINANCES being Low importance.

1 How important is being financially effective to you? ____ / 10

2 How satisfied are you with your current financial effectiveness? ____ / 10

3 You have enough money to meet your current wants. ____ / 10

4 You have enough money to meet your current needs. ____ / 10

5 You know what your exact outgoings are each month. ____ / 10

6 You always know whats in your bank account/s. ____ / 10

7 How important is being generous to others to you? ____ / 10

8 How generous are you currently being towards others? ____ / 10

9 How satisfied are you with how much you give to others? ____ / 10

10 How important is charitable contribution to you? ____ / 10

11 How satisfied are you with how charitable you currently are? ____ / 10

12 How willing are you to step out your comfort zone & take new risks to generate more income? ____ / 10

13 How much do you worry about your current financial situation? ____ / 10

Notes: Write a personal vision statement about about an area/s in your personal finances that youd like to make changes in:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ "To establish balance in our personal
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
finances, it's crucial that we learn to
_________________________________________________________________________ live within our means." - Kain Ramsay
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 7

MAIN LIFE AREA 4: Work through the questions & grade your answers
from 1 10 with 1 being High importance, and 10
HEALTH, RECREATION & LEISURE being Low importance.

1 How important is establishing a healthy work/ life balance to you? ____ / 10

2 How satisfied are you with your current work/study/ life balance? ____ / 10

3 How important is your physical health to you? ____ / 10

4 How happy are you with your current physical health? ____ / 10

5 How happy are you with your physical fitness levels? ____ / 10

6 How important is having plenty of free time to you? ____ / 10

7 How content are you with the amount of free time you have? ____ / 10

8 How important is your physical appearance? ____ / 10

9 How satisfied are you with your current physical appearance? ____ / 10

10 I can handle my stress and anxiety levels effectively. ____ / 10

11 How much do you currently enjoy life outside of work or study? ____ / 10

12 Are you able to do things that you enjoy frequently? ____ / 10

13 I have room for improvements in my life outside of work and/or study. ____ / 10

Notes: Write a personal vision statement about about an area/s in your personal/social life that youd like to make changes in:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ "If you're interested in balancing work &
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
pleasure, stop! Instead, make your work
________________________________________________________________________ more pleasurable." - Donald Trump
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 8

MAIN LIFE AREA 5: Work through the questions & grade your answers
from 1 10 with 1 being High importance, and 10
LIFE'S ROUTINE RESPONSIBILITIES being Low importance.

1 How important is managing routine tasks around the home to you? ____ / 10

2 How satisfied are you with how you currently handle routine tasks? ____ / 10

3 Are you disciplined in paying your routine household bills? ____ / 10

4 Could you be more disciplined in managing your bills & other important responsibilities? ____ / 10

5 How important is prioritizing your responsibilities? ____ / 10

6 How satisfied are you with how you prioritise your responsibilities? ____ / 10

7 How important is a well-managed home environment to you? ____ / 10

8 How satisfied are you with your current home environment? ____ / 10

9 How important is dealing with home issues promptly to you? ____ / 10

10 Would your home life be easier if you had a better system in

place for managing your routine responsibilities? ____ / 10

11 How much do you worry about your routine responsibilities? ____ / 10

12 How much easier would your life be if you were more disciplined
in managing your routine responsibilities around the home? ____ / 10

Notes: Write a vision statement about about how you could become more efficient in managing your routine responsibilities:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ "Success is nothing more than a few
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
simple disciplines that are practiced
________________________________________________________________________ every day." - Jim Rohn
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 9

MAIN LIFE AREA 6: Work through the questions & grade your answers
from 1 10 with 1 being High importance, and 10
CONTRIBUTION & GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY being Low importance.

1 How important is contributing back to society & making a difference to you? ____ / 10

2 How satisfied are you with how much you currently give back to society? ____ / 10

3 You regularly make a positive impact in the lives of other people. ____ / 10

4 How satisfied are you with the amount of difference you make in the lives of others? ____ / 10

5 How important is leaving behind a meaningful legacy to you? ____ / 10

6 How happy are you with the current legacy that you would leave behind? ____ / 10

7 How much do you encourage and support those closest to you? ____ / 10

8 My time is mainly consumed focussing on myself and my immediate needs. ____ / 10

9 You get involved with, and support a social initiative that you genuinely believe in. ____ / 10

10 Those closest to you find immense value in you. ____ / 10

11 Your peers or co-workers find immense value in you. ____ / 10

12 Someday, your children will be really proud of the way in which you've lived your life. ____ / 10

13 I could make more effort in contributing back to society. ____ / 10

Notes: Write a personal vision statement about about how you could begin making a greater impact in your culture or society:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ "Try not to become a person of success,
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
but rather try to become a person of
________________________________________________________________________ value." - Albert Einstein
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 10

MAIN LIFE AREA 7: Work through the questions & grade your answers
from 1 10 with 1 being High importance, and 10
MENTAL, EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL HEALTH being Low importance.

1 How important is being mentally healthy (and strong) to you? ____ / 10

2 How mentally healthy (and strong) do you currently feel? ____ / 10

3 How important is being emotionally healthy (and strong) to you? ____ / 10

4 How emotionally healthy (and strong) do you currently feel? ____ / 10

5 Are you confident and secure in who you are as a person? ____ / 10

6 How fulfilled are you with the way in which you're currently living your life? ____ / 10

7 How content are you with the way in which you're currently living your life? ____ / 10

8 How important is being spiritually healthy (and strong) to you? ____ / 10

9 How emotionally spiritually (and strong) do you currently feel? ____ / 10

10 I regularly invest time into developing myself spiritually. ____ / 10

11 I am consistently competent at managing my emotions. I have good self-control. ____ / 10

12 My emotions will often manage me. I am undisciplined in self-control. ____ / 10

13 Negative and destructive emotions will often get the 'better' of me. ____ / 10

Notes: Write a personal vision statement about how you can begin developing yourself mentally, emotionally and spiritually:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ "A successful man is one who can lay a
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
firm foundation with the bricks others
________________________________________________________________________ have thrown at him." - David Brinkley
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 11

GENERAL LIFE-EVALUATION QUESTIONS Q4) What immediate changes do you need to make your
life to feel more balanced?
Q1) Summarise what your ideal life would be like.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Q2) What are the main challenges (or difficulties) that __________________________________________________________________
youre facing in bringing your life back into balance? __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ Q5) What words might other people use to describe you?
__________________________________________________________________ (In relation to how balanced you are)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Q3) What areas of your life are working really well for you __________________________________________________________________
at the moment? (e.g.. Family, work, fitness etc) __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ "Success is a lousy teacher in
__________________________________________________________________ life. It seduces smart people
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
into believing that they
can't lose." - Bill Gates
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 12

FINAL EXERCISE: VISION STATEMENT 4: Health, Recreation & Leisure

__________________________________________________________________
To finish of this workbook, write a personal vision __________________________________________________________________
statement for each of your 7 life areas. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A personal vision statement is just 'the best case scenario' __________________________________________________________________
description of what you would like to achieve or __________________________________________________________________
accomplish in each of your main life area. __________________________________________________________________

Whatever you write down as your vision statements can VISION STATEMENT 5: Lifes Routine Responsibilities
become goals that you can commit to working towards __________________________________________________________________
over the next 6 - 12 months. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
VISION STATEMENT 1: Social & Family Relationships __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ VISION STATEMENT 6: Contribution & Giving Back
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
VISION STATEMENT 2: Career & Educational Aspirations __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
VISION STATEMENT 7: Mental, Emotional & Spiritual Life
VISION STATEMENT 3: Money & Personal Finances __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
 THE LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK PAGE 13

End of Wokbook Summary: Notes:

It's important to remember that life balance is an __________________________________________________________________

ongoing process and not just a means to an end. Life __________________________________________________________________
balance is much more than merely stating that you want __________________________________________________________________
something to happen, but is more about indicating the __________________________________________________________________
specifics of what you are GOING TO MAKE happen! __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Unless you define the specific goals that you have for each __________________________________________________________________
of your main life areas, the chances of you actually __________________________________________________________________
achieving these goals will always be somewaht limited. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Hopefully by now, though, you have set some goals for __________________________________________________________________
yourself that are significant, meaningful, and will improve __________________________________________________________________
the quality of your life (or others), once you have put in the __________________________________________________________________
hard work to achieve them. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
So, the question I leave you with is, which of your 7 main __________________________________________________________________
life areas are you going to bring __________________________________________________________________
back into balance first? __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

I hope that you've found this resource as helpful as what I

found a similar workbook I stumbled upon years ago.

The best life's lived, are balanced life's, and to help you
achieve this, I've created an extremely comprehensive life
planning & goal setting online course which you can access
through the Kain Ramsay: Strategic Life Coaching
Academy.

To your future success,

Kain x
STRATEGIC LIFE COACHING LIFE BALANCE WORKBOOK

BALANCE

HOW TO ACHIEVE LIFE BALANCE

IN A WORLD THAT'S FOREVER
GETTING FASTER

CREATED BY KAIN RAMSAY