How-To: Life Audit

Every December, I do a four-day life audit, where I reflect on what I’ve done over the past year. I thoroughly evaluate what I’ve been doing with my life, & I decide whether or not it’s aligning with my soul’s true purpose & still leading me toward reaching my longer-term goals. My life mission has always been to inspire individuals to embrace their uniqueness & enrich their existence. As a planner & a goal-oriented person, I do my best to ensure that I am consistently working towards both my short-term & long-term goals. If you’re interested in learning How-To: Life Audit, keep reading!

First, I categorize my life into five major categories:

1. Personal Growth
2. Relationships (Romantic, Family, & Friendship)
3. Career
4. Finances
5. The Greater Good

I personally believe that goal setting is easier when you break things down, step by step. It’s also easier & less overwhelming when you take your time & are very specific about what you want. If the five categories I listed don’t resonate with you, feel free to add, remove, or create your own. Your life audit should reflect you, so feel free to customize your personal life audit as you see fit. 

Second, I dedicate a focus for each of the four days:

• Day One: Be Honest
• Day Two: You are Amazing!
• Day Three: Life Themes
• Day Four: Create a Master Plan

On Day One, I answer the following “Be Honest” questions for each of the five categories:

• What are the three things I’m most grateful for this year?
• What three things am I most proud of?
• Do I feel like this year has been everything that I wanted it to be?
• What could I have done better or handled with more positivity?

This day is about reflection. The day to day of life can become overwhelming sometimes, so you become distracted & forget to stay on track altogether. While seeing where you’ve slacked off can be triggering, it’s really important to take in both the good & the bad. Don’t punish yourself for not being perfect! No one is. 

On Day Two, I answer the following “You are Amazing!” questions:

• Which five things do I love most about myself?
• What are five of my skills/talents?
• What three things have I succeeded in this year?
• How have I been able to support others this year?

This is one of my favorite days! While you may be loved & have people in your life who are incredibly grateful to have you in theirs, not everyone proactively takes the time to ensure that you know it. The truth is your closest circle of friends is a reflection of who you are. When you surround yourself with amazing people, they will want to lift you up & ensure that you know that you can succeed in all of your endeavors. 

Another thing I do on this day is to ask five friends, co-workers, or family members “Which three positive words come to mind when you think of me?” I then make a note of the positive words in my phone to reference whenever I’m feeling down or having a bad day to remind myself that I’m still an adorable badass! 😉 

On Day Three, I answer the following “Life Themes” questions for each of the five categories:

• What are my hopes & dreams?
• What can I do to bring me closer to accomplishing my goals?
• Who will cheer me on and/or keep me accountable?

Sometimes, it’s hard to reflect on the bigger picture when you get lost in your day to day work. I’m still young, but there’s so much that I want to accomplish in my lifetime. I want to help people. I want to travel the world. I want to buy a house, create a home, & have a family. While I’ve made some progress on these goals, I know that there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to get myself there. 

On Day Four, I re-read everything that I’ve written then create my Master Plan for the upcoming year.

Here are the “Create a Master Plan” questions I ask myself:

• What are my five big goals/initiatives/plans for the upcoming year?
• When I break down each of these five goals, what are five steps that I can take to make them a reality?
• Within the next three months, what steps can I implement?
• Within the next four weeks, what steps can I take sooner rather than later?
• Within the next week, what steps can I take right now?
• What steps can I take every week to consistently bring me closer to achieving my goals?
• Who do I want to collaborate with this year?
• What is my mission statement for this coming year? 

This day is about getting clear on exactly what you want, setting specific & timely goals, as well as identifying the steps you can take to accomplish them. When you know what you’re working toward & your mind is focused on getting you where you want to be, you feel unstoppable. I love being able to go into every new year with a new sense of purpose. And I thank myself for all the work that I’ve done in the previous year as well as forgive myself for any moments where I veered off track. I remind myself that it’s just a part of life, & I’m only human. 

Have you ever audited your life? Do you have a personal way that you enjoy & prefer to use to set your goals? Let me know all about it in a comment below. 

XO Denise