You might remember my slightly less edgy confession about taking a look through your entire notebook and evaluating where life is going wrong.
We call that thing a life audit.
A life audit allows you to objectively assess which areas of your life are in alignment with your core values and which ones could use some improvement.
2026 is a great time to conduct a life audit because things are changing so rapidly. New technologies, new work norms, new life cadences…it’s a good idea to pause and realign yourself.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the steps of conducting a comprehensive life audit for yourself. The steps will be simple. The language will be clear. The concepts actionable—so you can get started today and map out the year ahead.
Why Do a Life Audit?
Life audits help you feel less adrift. They create a reference point so your decisions better align with your highest intentions. They also help you identify small problems that slowly leak your energy day by day—until you suddenly run out.
Life audits are helpful whenever you’re going through a transition. But you can also benefit from one whenever life is feeling “okay” but you want more clarity and intention. LifePointe Magazine shares that a life audit allows you to take inventory in areas like health, relationships, career, finances, and life purpose. From there, you can create smart goals and healthy boundaries to avoid burnout.
What You’ll Need
Simple tools. That’s all you need.
A notebook or computer document
2–3 hours (can be spread out over multiple sessions)
Courage to be honest with yourself
Bonus: A calendar, blank to-do list, or method for tracking metrics like sleep, steps, and even times you say “no.Oh, and if you really want to tackle 2026 feeling refreshed, you’ll want to include a mini digital declutter as part of your life audit. Life these days is noisy. We recommend finding 30 days you can go without optional apps and internet habits. It creates instant clarity on what matters. You can learn about digital decluttering with this practical guide from James Clear (James Clear — Minimalism). The concept also comes from Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport — Digital Minimalism).
How to Do a Life Audit in 2026
Step 1: Create the Right Environment
Ask questions with curiosity, not judgment. A life audit isn’t a guilty confession. It’s simply a fact-finding mission so you can make better decisions.
Decide how much time you want to devote to the process. Will you block off one morning to dig deep? Split it up over a few sessions across a week? Take a slower approach and spend a month thinking through each question?
Begin your life audit by writing this opening statement at the top of your document: “I am doing this so I can make room for what matters most to me.” Refer back to it when you have to make a tough decision.
Need some motivation? Read: 7 Daily Self-Motivation Habits
Step 2: Separate Life Into Categories
Break life into specific categories. You can use common categories like these:
Relationships
Work/Career
Money
Home / Environment
Learning
Rest & Play
Digital
Health
Then, for each category, answer these three questions:
What’s working?
What’s not working?
What do I want instead?
Keep your answers short. You’re taking snapshots, not painting a novel.
Read: Setting Goals: A Guide for Success
Step 3: Identify Themes
Take a look at your notes from Step 2. Do you see any themes emerging? Do certain emotions come up repeatedly—stress, tiredness, overwhelm?
Emotions are clues. They show you where you might need to invest more energy or set healthy boundaries. When something pops up in multiple categories—it’s probably worth your attention.
Read: 10 Steps to Work on Yourself for Personal Growth
Step 4: Add Measurements
Objectively measuring your life allows you to see patterns over time. You can learn what matters by what you measure.
Keep this part simple. Choose 1–2 numbers to track for each category. For example:
Sleep = hours rested per day
Relationships = meaningful conversations per week
Work = hours of focused work vs. busywork
Money = monthly savings/debt payments
Tracking your numbers shouldn’t make you feel busier. It should help you notice improvement.
Step 5: Choose Three Priorities
Referencing your themes and measurements, pick 3 priorities for the next 3–6 months. Three is magical because it’s small enough to feel achievable, but large enough to have meaningful impact.
Write these out as short action phrases that reflect the change you want to create. For example: “Reduce tiredness”, “Deepen an important relationship”, or “Grow my career”.
Step 6: Plan Experiments
Instead of designing a full-blown action plan, create a list of small experiments. These are tiny behaviors that last anywhere from two to four weeks. Each experiment should include:
A start date
A method of measuring success
Experiments are about learning—not finishing with flying colors. You’re not on a path to failure or success. Experiments help you avoid burnout and fuzzy routines.
Step 7: Establish Good Habits
Eventually, those mini experiments become good habits. And good habits are the foundation of your new year.
Here’s the rule with good habits: Start small. Celebrate tiny wins. Pair new habits with something you already do.James Clear teaches us that good habits start with tiny behaviors and stacking your environment with decisions that make good behavior easier and bad behavior difficult (James Clear — Atomic Habits quotes).
11. Step 8: Declutter Your Digital Life
So much of life is lived through digital spaces now. And for the most part, those tools suck your energy rather than fill you up.
Conducting a digital declutter allows you to assess which apps and online spaces support your goals and which ones are vacuums for your time.
Method 1: Take at least 30 days off from all optional technologies.
What’s optional? Social media, news websites, games, or tech you use for fun.
Anything you need for work or education doesn’t count. After 30 days, go back to only using products that serve your priorities.
We call this method “restricted use”, and you can read more about it in Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport — Digital Minimalism). When you use technology with intention, everything from sleep to productivity improve.
Step 9: Create Goals
Our favorite goals are SMART goals. That stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
Turn each priority into a SMART goal. Then break it down into three small actions you can complete this week. Keep your steps small enough that you can’t say no.
Step 10: Create Boundaries
Boundaries keep your days healthy. Say no to the things that drain you. Make space for the things you care about most.
Look for opportunities to create healthy boundaries. Maybe that looks like turning off notifications after 9pm. Or getting comfortable saying “no” to meaningless requests.
Establish morning and evening routines too. Keep them simple, doable, and as repeatable as possible.
Step 11: Review Regularly
A life audit should be an ongoing process. You’ll see best results when you create a system of regular check-ins.
We like this schedule:
15–30 min per week for mini check-ins
1 hour per month to evaluate larger patterns
2–3 hours every season to assess for deeper life changes
1 full life audit each year
Real Simple recommends scheduling regular check-ins to keep your plan refreshed and avoid burnout (Real Simple).
Final Thoughts
The best life audits come from a place of love. They don’t shame you for your current circumstances. Instead, they empower you to see clearly and choose what’s best for you.
Our life in 2026 won’t look like life in 2022. Or 2024. A life audit this year is simply a tool to ensure your life matches your values right now.
There’s no rush. Here’s a gentle way to start: Pick three priorities for your life right now. Then, design one simple experiment for each priority to test over the next month. Keep them small enough that you can’t fail. Then, in one month, read through your notes as if you were reading a stranger’s journal and you desperately want them to succeed.
One small shift at a time can change your life.
FAQ
1. What is a life audit?
A life audit allows you to objectively assess which areas of your life are in alignment with your core values and which ones could use some improvement.
2. Why is 2026 a good time to do a life audit?
Because things are changing rapidly, and it’s a good idea to pause and realign yourself.
3. How long does a life audit take?
About 2–3 hours, and it can be spread out over multiple sessions.
4. What should I track in the measurements step?
Choose 1–2 numbers to track for each category (like sleep hours, meaningful conversations, focused work, or monthly savings/debt payments).
5. What if I don’t want to do a full digital declutter?
You can keep it simple by removing optional apps and internet habits for 30 days, then returning only to what serves your priorities.
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