Have you ever felt like you were meant to do something else but struggled to find out where to begin? A Life Audit is a great way to help you reconnect with your true values and forgotten dreams. It’s also a fun and interactive way to create a roadmap for your midlife journey – and take control of your life.
All About Post-its
My sister’s fondness for covering everything with Post-it notes has always amused me. Yellow, green, and blue Post-its on the cabinet doors, fridge, and bulletin boards highlight everything from anti-inflammatory diets to inspiring quotes and personal goals – ideas meant to be realized someday.
I don’t do Post-its. My dreams and aspirations are between me and the Universe, not for everyone else to see. So, I keep my thoughts and ideas safely hidden in my head. Eventually, I check them off my mental list or get rid of them when I realize they won’t happen. That way, if I fail, no one will ever know.
Recently, I found myself surrounded by 100 yellow Post-its, neatly arranged into 12 pink Post-it categories. I had just completed my first Life Audit, and at the age of 56, I realized some fundamental truths about myself.
A mural from Portland in Oregon symbolizing the Cycle of Life and Transformation, or perhaps Evolution and Adaptation? Maybe the Unpredictable Forces of Nature or something completely different...?!
What is a Life Audit?
A Life Audit is a structured process for assessing different areas of life, such as career, relationships, health, personal growth, and purpose. It’s a method of self-reflection that helps you gain insight into your personal and professional passions and see where you might need to make changes.
Why a Life Audit?
We often navigate our way through life on autopilot. We make career and life decisions based on what seems logical or expected, sometimes based on routines or the need for security. When we reach midlife, this autopilot mode can lead to a sense of feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or living a life without purpose.
What if there is a fun and interactive way to explore a path that aligns better with our passions and personal strengths?
What happens if we step back for a minute and look at where we are? Or, more interestingly, who we are and who we want to become? I know… self-reflection can be a bitch. What will surface from under the layers of responsibility and doubt? Are we ready to turn insight into action? A Life Audit can help you connect with your internal guide and reveal new opportunities.
Transformation is hard work, but there is no better time to do it than midlife – a time where we’re already facing change.
You’ll need people to see your entire circle of tides. You cannot stifle certain parts of yourself and feel wildly whole just as oceans cannot fold into ponds. You’ll shrink and suffer and stunt your growth. Be everything and see who can swim – Victoria Erickson
Salamanders are often associated with resillience and transformation. Swallows represent freedom and new beginnings. To me, this mural from Amager in Copenhagen symbolizes a woman moving toward a new phase in her life. It's about personal growth.
How to do a Life Audit?
The Life Audit I did (obviously) involves Post-its and a black marker. At least a hundred Post-its!
Write down everything you aspire to. One dream, wish, or goal on each note. Finding a hundred dreams or goals might seem impossible, but it’s easier than you think. It’s serious business; after all, it’s the rest of your life we’re talking about, but try to have fun with it!
Staying true to your values while doing a Life Audit is important. This is the time to let go of the thoughts that are holding you back like “I probably should” or “maybe it’s safer to”. Dig deep into your true desires, and don’t look at past decisions as mistakes. Every decision we’ve made is a life lesson and an opportunity for growth.
All the dreams and goals you identify and put on Post-its will then be categorized into categories like career, relationships, health, personal growth, and purpose. Mark the different categories with different color Post-its. It’s your Life Audit, so you get to decide the categories.
A Life Audit in the making
behind The Life Audit
Now you have the framework for your Life Audit. There are different ways of conducting a Life Audit, but I followed the steps from The Life Audit by Ximena Vengoechea.
Ximena Vengoechea, is a user researcher who used common tools from her professional background to develop The Life Audit. It includes the initial brainstorming – the Post-it Notes – followed by the mapping of data while looking for themes and patterns. All this, to get a better understanding of your needs, motivations, feelings, behaviors, and perceptions.
Ximena provides thought-provoking questions to consider during this part of the audit. The clarity you gain throughout the process will bring confidence and help you overcome internal judgment and outside expectations. You’ll identify what people, skills, and resources you’ll need to achieve your goals, and you’ll be able to create an intentional action plan.
The White Rabbit's frantic behavior in "Alice in Wonderland" can be a symbol of societal pressures and the anxieties that come with the pressure of time.
What Does Science Say?
Setting goals and self-reflection have been linked to increased life satisfaction and mental well-being. Studies in positive psychology suggest that if we can identify and take advantage of our personal strengths, it can lead to a more fulfilled life. Neuroscientific research also shows that structured self-assessment improves decision-making and reduces cognitive overload.
Cognitive overload is when the brain is overwhelmed and has too much information to process at once – similar to when your phone has too many apps open and is running slow.
A Life Audit is an intentional cognitive activity – a controlled process.
By conducting a Life Audit, your brain consciously tries to organize all the information swirling around in your head. The brain doesn’t get stressed out because it only needs to focus on one thing – the process. This process will strengthen your ability to systematically make reflective assessments and will make it easier to make decisions and lighten the mental burden.
What a Life Audit Can Uncover
Many of us have dreams and aspirations we don’t say out loud or even want to admit to ourselves. A Life Audit can help bring these to the surface by:
- Identifying recurring themes: Noticing repeated interests or unfulfilled desires can point toward passions we may have ignored.
- Highlighting energy-drainers: Recognizing what consistently drains our energy allows us to reallocate time to more fulfilling goals.
- Creating intentionality: Writing things down forces us to acknowledge our true interests rather than what we think we should care about.
- Reframing failure: Instead of viewing past decisions as mistakes, a Life Audit reveals lessons and opportunities for growth.
- Aligning actions with values: When we see misalignment between what we do and what we value, we can make conscious changes.
- Creating a roadmap: You’re getting clarity – now take action! The audit process allows us to set realistic, meaningful goals with impactful steps toward change.
My Life Audit
I’ve been reimagining midlife for some time now – Looking for opportunities instead of obstacles, wandering outside my comfort zone, and building resilience to grow as a person. However, the first thing I noticed when I did my Life Audit was this: even if I acknowledged midlife as an opportunity, I faced the same roadblock over and over again: “I only have one shot at getting this right”. So, in terms of career, I’ve been consistently afraid of making a wrong turn on my new path instead of working towards my goals.
I felt time working against me; after all, I am in my mid-fifties. “If I do this and it’s not the right thing, I have wasted a lot of time”. This created a lot of anxiety, and I got to a point where I felt almost paralyzed.
I read an article by Ximena Vengoechea about The Life Audit, and when I saw her book at the bookstore, I knew that I had to try it out. I’m pretty sure that I won’t regret it.
Final Thoughts
We all want to be the best version of ourselves. Don’t worry about your dreams never coming true. Chances are that a path will reveal itself if you think beyond your limitations. Always stay open to exploring, challenging, and developing yourself. Never settle for a path that doesn’t feel right. Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain? It’s up to you to fulfill your potential and find a purpose. It’s okay to want a broader horizon. Maybe it’s time to sit down with a stack of Post-it notes and start your journey toward clarity.
Additional Sources
For a deeper understanding of Life Audits and self-reflection, explore the following resources:
- “The Life Audit” by Ximena Vengoechea – A step-by-step guide to uncovering personal and professional passions.
- “The Organized Mind” by neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin –Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
- “Atomic Habits” by James Clear – Insights into how small habit changes lead to significant personal transformation.
- The VIA Institute on Character – A research-based resource on identifying and applying personal strengths.
- The Greater Good Science Center – A hub for studies on well-being, purpose, and positive psychology.
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Or take a look at the Midlife Journal if you’re trying to navigate the highs and lows of midlife – like me.