The Power of a Life Audit

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Cristian Pescariu

A life audit can help you gain clarity and focus.

What Are the Benefits of a Life Audit?  

An overriding benefit of life auditing is clarity. By reflecting on your current circumstances and what you'd like your life to look like, you can become clearer about what changes you need to make to achieve your goals.  

If you are feeling lost, unhappy, or out of balance, a life audit can also help you to pinpoint where your negative feelings are coming from, as well as the things you gain the most joy from, regardless of societal expectations.  

How to Carry out a Life Audit  

Before you begin, here are some important top tips that will help you to get the most out of your life audit:  

• Find a quiet, private space.  
• Don't put any time constraints on the process (it takes as long as it takes!).  
• Be completely honest.  
• Get your thoughts down on paper (you can't properly audit your life in your head).  

Now, follow these five steps to carry out your own life audit: 

1. Rate Your Life  

Start by brainstorming the key aspects of your life. Then rate them using a scale of 1-10, with 1 referring to areas of very low satisfaction, stress and overwhelm; while 10 refers to areas of high joy and satisfaction.  

You can choose any aspect of your life you want, but in general key areas you could focus on might include your:  

• Current career.  
• Financial situation.  
• Family life.  
• Romantic relationships.  
• Friendships.  
• Mental health.  
• Physical health.  
• Hobbies.  
• Personal growth and education.  
• Home.  
• Travel and adventure.  

It's essential to be completely honest with yourself here, which is why we suggest doing your audit alone. You don't want the judgment of others to affect your ratings.  

2. Identify Your Dream Life  

Imagine yourself a year or two from now. What would your dream life look like?  

Don't worry about what others may think. In fact, drop all societal beliefs and particularly avoid doing things only to impress others. Your life audit is a judgment-free zone.  

If you're struggling to imagine your dream life or aren’t sure what you want it to look like, revisit the aspects of your life that you analyzed in step one and write down what your dream scenario would be for each.  

Skip any that aren't relevant to your happiness and focus on the things you identified that made you feel excited about the possibilities your future could hold.  

3. Get Rid of Limiting Beliefs  

Limiting beliefs are those that keep your dreams pushed to the bottom of your priority list.  

For example, you might think you don't have enough money to travel abroad, even though it's what you desperately want to do.  

Get rid of that negativity! Reframe it into a challenge that you want to overcome.  

Maybe you could start by researching how other people manage the expense of long-term travel and explore options that are possible for you, like remote working, taking a sabbatical, or setting some financial savings goals. 

4. Reframe Your Life to Suit Your Dreams  

Now it's time to make some real changes. Look at the areas of your life where satisfaction is really low and work out what you could do to bring that score up.  

For example, if you've discovered your home doesn't bring you much joy, perhaps it's time to seriously start considering a renovation, a clear out, or even a relocation.  

Create actionable stepping stones that'll ensure you achieve your goals, too. So, if you want to create a wider social circle, look into local classes, plan events that welcome plus-ones, or join a book club.  

5. Let Go of What Doesn't Serve You  

If you uncover anything that isn't really working for you, it might be time to let it go. This can be difficult, but it's crucial that you're honest with yourself if you want to see real change.  

If you've been trying for some time to make a job, a relationship, or a hobby work, and it's just causing you pain, it may be that it no longer has a place in your life. However, if you find the stress worth it, or the pros outweigh the cons, look instead at how you can reduce the negative impact it's been having on you.  

A life audit isn't a magic wand – it can’t fix your problems or give you the perfect life, but it can provide clarity about what direction to take if you're feeling confused or simply in need of a change.