I’ll admit it. I used to sit down and scroll open up every tab in my brain like a giant spreadsheet.
I’d think to myself: “Why do I feel so crappy in some areas of my life and okay in others?”
I remember thinking life would just “sort itself out” if I went with the flow.
But… life didn’t work that way.
Not for me anyway.
Thankfully, I discovered how to do a life audit.
Let me clarify, a life audit is about sitting down with yourself, getting brutally honest, and fixing whatever areas of your life aren’t serving you + boosting your overall happiness.
When you do a life audit, you learn what you’re doing right, what you need to stop spending time on, and how you can align your daily habits with your end-goals.
If you’ve ever wanted a guideline for how to live your best life, or simply feel stuck in a rut, follow these 10 steps to audit your life and fix what’s not working:
10 Ways to Do a Life Audit and Fix What’s Not Working
1. Sit Down and Reflect
The first step to getting your life together is reflecting on where you are right now.
- What’s going well?
- What doesn’t feel “quite right” or makes you stressed?
- Where are you wasting your time?
Don’t skim over this step. Take some time and really dive into your life. Open up a journal or Google doc and write down your thoughts.
Remember: Be honest with yourself! This isn’t the time to sugarcoat things.
Pro tip: To make your life audit a bit more simple, you can break your life up into categories. Like health, relationships, career, finances, etc.
Read also: 150 Self-Reflection Questions for Personal Growth
2. Identify Your Values
Everything in your life runs smoother when it aligns with your values.
If you live your life doing things that go against your values, resentment and dissatisfaction will creep in.
Ask yourself…
- What are my core values?
- Am I living a life that’s true to them?
- Where do I shine in these areas, and where could I improve?
When you know your values, it’s easier to prioritize what areas of your life are worth spending your time on.
Read also: 10 Steps to Discover Your Values and Passions
3. Look at Your Relationships
Whether you realize it or not, other people play a huge role in your happiness.
Make a list of the relationships in your life and ask yourself these questions:
- Who builds me up and encourages me?
- Who drains me with stress or negative energy/drama?
- Are there any relationships I need to set boundaries or cut off completely?
Hint: A solid support system is one of the foundations of a happy life. Make sure you’re surrounding yourself with good people that lift you up.
4. Examine Your Career and Finances
Our careers and finances are a huge part of our lives. We all have bills to pay and expectations.
Ask yourself these questions when you think about your career:
- Am I happy with my current job/career path?
- Are my talents being utilized?
- Are my finances in order, or am I always worrying about money?
If something in your career isn’t serving you, figure out what you can do to improve your situation.
- Do you need to learn a new skill?
- Ask for a raise?
- Budget better?
5. Evaluate Your Health
Your health should never be compromised. Always take care of yourself!
- Do you eat junk food, or nourish your body with fruits and vegetables?
- Are you going to the gym, or being sedentary?
- Are you getting enough sleep?
- Do you feel mentally and emotionally well?
When you don’t have your health under control, everything else feels like a lot more work.
Pro tip: Sometimes as little as 15–20 minutes of movement (or meditation) a day can reboot your energy.
6. Audit Your Habits
Our habits dictate our lives.
Make two columns.
One for habits that help you move closer to your goals + improve yourself.
One for habits that waste your time or drain your energy.
For example:
Do you scroll through Instagram for hours?
Are you constantly procrastinating?
Do you talk down to yourself?
These are all habits you can improve.
Once you brain dump a list of your habits, start swapping them out for better ones.
If you waste time scrolling through social media, listen to podcasts or books instead.
Swap bad habits for small changes that move you closer to the life you want.
7. Set Goals
You can’t finish your life audit without concrete goals.
- What do you want in 6 months? One year? Five years?
- What are some goals that are realistic and some that you can dream about?
- Are you taking steps today that’ll lead you to your goals?
Write down your goals and make sure they’re measurable.
If your goals aren’t clear, you’ll never find direction.
8. Declutter Your Life
If your living space is messy, your mind will be too.
Take a good look at your home, workspace, and digital life.
- Is it cluttered?
- Are there things stressing you out that you should delete or throw out?
You’ll feel better once you’ve decluttered your entire life.
9. Track Your Time
This was a game changer for me.
You know how you always hear people say “We only have 24 hours in a day,” yet we all feel like we never have enough time?
When you track your time, you’ll see exactly where your time goes.
- Where do you spend most of your time?
- Are you spending your time intentionally or letting life happen to you?
- What activities nourish your soul and which ones are just distraction?
Try using a daily planner, time tracking app, or simple notebook.
Once you visualize where your time goes, you’ll become ruthless about NOT wasting it.
10. Take Action & Audit Regularly
Fixing your life won’t do you any good if you don’t take action.
Once you’ve evaluated your life and found areas to change, it’s time to make a plan.
- Decide which changes will have the most impact on your life.
- Break your goals down into small achievable steps.
- Review your life audit often and change things that no longer apply.
Once you finish your life audit, don’t just leave it sitting in a journal.
Life audits should be done every few months to a year.
You’re always evolving so you’ll want to adjust your life accordingly!
Conclusion
Life auditing allows you to take a deep look into your life and fix what’s not working.
I used to feel stressed about everything in my life. Until I learned how to life audit.
Once you know where you stand right now, it’s time to take action (and never look back!).
I hope these 10 steps to auditing your life helped you figure out where you want to improve and how!
Stay awesome.
Life Audit Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How often should I audit my life?
A1: Ideally every 6–months to a year. Some people even do a mini life audit when they go through a big life change or transition.
Q2: Can I life audit by myself?
A2: Sure! But it helps to have someone hold you accountable or give you a different perspective. Consider hiring a coach, finding a mentor, or talking to a trusted friend.
Q3: What if I feel overwhelmed with everything I have to fix?
A3: Start small! You don’t need to fix everything at once. Focus on one area of your life and create small action steps you can improve on.
Q4: Do I have to write my life audit down?
A4: Again, writing everything out is helpful for clarity and holding yourself accountable. Consider journaling or making a document on your computer.
Q5: Can this help me with my mental health?
A5: Yes! Life auditing allows you to live with less overwhelm because you know what you need to work on. Focusing on yourself also allows you to improve your mental and physical well-being.
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