It catches you unawares. On the surface, life seems good. It looks good. Everything appears to be fine. Except, fine isn’t enough.

You find yourself feeling unsettled, craving something else. But you don’t know what that “thing” is.

They say the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting something to change. Well, this life audit is designed to take you out of that. So you can make a meaningful change and start living a life that’s aligned to the true you.

Here’s how to get started with your life audit.

What is a life audit?

A life audit is a moment to pause. It’s when you take time out away from your day-to-day in order to reflect on what you’ve accomplished, and what’s still to come.

You’re assessing where you are, where you want to be and the gap between the two. The goal? Your life audit will empower you to create an action plan to close that gap. Making a life that feels like your own that much easier to achieve.

How do you know it’s time for a life audit?

There is no one perfect time that triggers a life audit. It’s usually a culmination of factors, resulting in you igniting your desire for change.

Around 60% of my coaching clients are going through a transitional period in their lives, and this is no accident. A change in circumstances, a new role at work or the spark to start a new business can act as a catalyst for change. We’re forced to rethink our lives, reevaluate our priorities and refresh our perspectives.

Many people report that their lives are actually better after their “big change” than before. But you don’t need to be experiencing a dramatic change in order to audit your life.

Your life audit might be triggered by:

• A loss of direction in your life
• A long-lasting feeling of unsettledness
• A lack of clarity around your values and life goals
• A change in your work circumstances, like a promotion or new role
• A change in direction, like starting a new business
• A change in your life circumstances
• An impending date, providing you with extra perspective

Often, the catalyst for a life audit is simply the end of the year. This is an ideal time to reflect back on the past 12 months (or longer), whilst taking those lessons into the next.

Why you need to incorporate life audits into your yearly routine

Your life audit can help you uncover which parts of your life are causing you to feel unsettled. It’ll highlight the areas that aren’t quite up to par, whilst supporting you in the process of creating goals to help you focus on improving your wellbeing in these areas.

Through their life audits, my clients have been able to understand why they were feeling “unfulfilled” before then identifying the changes they need to make. They’re able to find clarity on what they want from their lives, build confidence to make those big decisions to change and discover what values they want to stick to along the way.

How to do a life audit

The key here is that life audits can unlock the clarity you need to change. There’s no point planning a new path if you don’t know what direction you want to take. Your life audit helps to reveal the map to follow.

Phase 1: Find clarity

To enable that to happen, the first phase of your life audit is all about clarity. You’ll follow the prompts to reveal what’s already there, the indicators of what’s feeling good in your life (and what isn’t).

1. Shortlist the different areas of your life
2. Imagine how you want each life area to feel

Phase 2: Get focused

Now that you’re clear on where you want to go, you’re able to focus on what you need to do to get there. You’ll explore how each life area feels right now, as well as determining how important it is for your overall wellbeing.

3. Audit each life area through a series of reflections
4. Prioritise each life area for your overall wellbeing

Phase 3: Take action

Your final phase is all about action. This is where you plan out the changes that’ll take you from where you are to what you want to be. Each change should be purposeful and carefully considered, with plenty of check-in points planned along the way.

5. Plan your path to an aligned life
6. Schedule your check-in points

Life audit step 1: Shortlist your life areas

Before you can audit your life, you need to know what you’re auditing! And that’s going to look different to everyone. Each of us has different areas of our lives that are important to us. What might feel like an essential to your colleagues or friends, might not even make your list.

• Start by listing out each area of your life that you want to review. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
• Career/Business
• Family & Friends
• Health
• Life Partner
• Money
• Fun & Leisure
• Home
• Learning
• Travel
• Spiritual Wellness

Life audit step 2: Imagine how you want your life areas to feel

Take a moment to picture your perfect day. If everything felt perfect to you (ignore the social media highlight reel here), what would that look like? Try to free yourself from any limits or ideas around what’s possible for you, and allow yourself to dream a little.

This is your chance to imagine your ultimate self.

• Now, go through each area of your life and look at how it can contribute to your perfect day.
• What does it look like?
• How does it feel?
• What does it contain?

Life audit step 3: Audit each life area

Now’s your time to focus on where you are today. Try to be kind to yourself here. More often than not, we end up berating ourselves for not being where we want to be. But that’s not going to get you anywhere.

Instead, take an objective look and evaluate your current situation. This is where it all starts to change!

• For each life area, ask yourself:
• What do you want more of?
• What do you want less of?
• What’s working for you here?
• What isn’t working for you?
• How do you want this to feel?
• What do you want it to look like?

Life audit step 4: Prioritise your life areas

I really encourage you to dream big. But I also want you to be realistic. Without a dose of realism, those dreams can become our hurdles.

When you dream without a clear focus, those dreams run away from you. They become mountains to climb, rather than steps to take. So start by prioritising your life areas in order of importance, so you can find the best place to start for you.

Review your life areas and ask:

• Which areas do you want to focus on now?
• Where can you implement the quickest changes, to help build some momentum?
• Which areas will have the most impact on your overall wellbeing?
• How can you rank each life area in order of importance, taking your answers to the above questions into account?

Take a look at this sneak peek from the Empower You course, to discover why balance matters so much in your life audits (in just four minutes):

Life audit step 5: Plan your life changes

Now onto my favourite part. You’ve done the dreaming, you’ve done the reflecting, you’ve done the imagining. It’s time for the planning.

This is the most important step in the life audit process, because it’s where we take that perfect day and bring it to life.

With your destination in mind, ask yourself:

• What steps need to be taken to align your dream life with your current life?
• What habits would the person living your dream life have?
• What do you need to bring into your life to make that change?
• What do you need to ask to leave?
• What help or support will assist you along the way?

Life audit step 6: Schedule your check ins

Deciding to make a change is just the beginning. Those changes will need time to accumulate and come into effect, which is why a coach can be invaluable to help you stay accountable along the way.

There will be hurdles and hiccups. But don’t let those deter you. Instead, schedule in regular check-in points to celebrate your progress and plan your next steps.

At each check in point, ask yourself:

• How can you celebrate the small wins?
• What surprises have you experienced along the way?
• What have you learnt?
• What changes need to be made?
• What are your next steps?

Pssst… I’ve sat on your side of the table

Life’s easier when you know where you’re going. What if you had someone by your side to guide you through?

It’s time to stop worrying about what other people think.
And start living your life for you.