How to Do a Life Audit in 2024
One of the best ways to get your life on track is to do a life audit. This is exactly what it sounds like: a big assessment of your current life to identify what’s working, what isn’t and where you want to go next. Life audits are perfect for those times when you feel a little lost, stuck or low.
With a life audit, you’ll be able to get a clearer picture of your goals, challenges, and how to make this year your best yet.
I LOVE doing life audits and wanted to create the perfect guide so that you can do them to. Here, I will share how to do a life audit, what to include in a life audit and giveaway some free worksheets to help you!
What is a Life Audit?
In simple terms, a life audit is an in-depth assessment of your current life.
You take stock of where you are—personally, professionally, mentally, and physically—and evaluate how you feel about each area. It’s a great way to uncover areas where you’re thriving, and also the parts that might need a bit more love and attention.
This isn’t about being hard on yourself. It’s about self-awareness and giving yourself the opportunity to grow. By conducting a life audit, you create a solid foundation for positive change.
You might also like: 100 questions for self discovery
What Can a Life Audit Reveal?
A life audit can be incredibly eye-opening. It reveals things that you might not have noticed in the day-to-day busyness of life. You may uncover hidden stressors, bottlenecks, or even areas where you’re more satisfied than you initially thought.
It can highlight gaps between where you are now and where you want to be, giving you a roadmap to close those gaps. You might also find that you’ve been spending time on things that don’t align with your values, or that you’ve been overlooking things that are important to you.
Ultimately, it gives you clarity on what needs to change and what should be celebrated.
Why Should You Do a Life Audit?
Life can get busy—work, family, responsibilities—it never seems to end. But without pausing to reflect, it’s easy to go through life without really knowing if we’re on the right path.
That’s why a life audit is so valuable.
It’s your chance to stop, breathe, and assess whether you’re heading in the direction you want to be. By taking stock of your current situation, you can make informed decisions about where to go next. Plus, it can be incredibly motivating. Once you see things clearly, you’ll be inspired to take action!
Also read: How to transform your life in 30 days
Key Areas to Focus on in Your Life Audit
Before we get in to how to conduct a life audit (and I promise I am getting there!), let’s take a look at what you should look at in your life audit.
A life audit covers a lot of ground, so it’s helpful to break it down into key areas. Here are the most important parts of your life to consider when doing a life audit:
Your Current Level of Life Satisfaction
Start by asking yourself: how satisfied am I with my life overall?
This isn’t about being nitpicky, but about getting a general sense of how content you feel right now. Are you happy with your day-to-day experiences, or is there something missing?
Your overall life satisfaction is the big-picture view.
Your Goals
Are you on track to achieve the goals you set for yourself? If not, it’s time to reassess them.
Maybe some of them are no longer relevant, or perhaps new priorities have taken their place. A life audit helps you realign your goals with where you are today.
Also see: How to stay consistent with your goals
Understanding Your Ideal Life
Do you have a clear vision of what your ideal life looks like? Think about what success and happiness mean to you. This is about designing your dream life and comparing it to where you are now.
If you already have a clear vision, check out my fab guide on how to manifest your dream life.
Your Mindset
Your mindset has a huge impact on how you approach life.
Are you stuck in a negative mindset, or are you open to growth and change?
Recognizing limiting beliefs and areas for growth in your thinking is key to progress.
Your Biggest Challenges
Identify the main challenges that are holding you back. Are they external—like work stress or relationship issues? Or are they internal—such as self-doubt or procrastination?
Naming your challenges is the first step to overcoming them.
Current Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks are things that are slowing your progress. It could be something as simple as poor time management or as complex as unresolved emotional baggage.
Once you’ve identified your bottlenecks, you can work on clearing them.
Your Health
One of the most overlooked areas of a life audit is physical health. Take a minute to be honest with yourself about how you look after your body.
Maybe you’ve let your daily exercise slip recently or you haven't been listening to your body’s need for rest.
Taking care of your body and mind is essential to living a balanced, happy life.
Your Finances
Another, often overlooked, area to focus on is your personal finances. Although money isn’t everything, it certainly helps to make life a little more comfortable!
Ideally, you should live below your means, have enough savings to cover 3-6 months of living expenses, and have an investment pot for the future.
One good goal for this year could be to improve your personal finance knowledge.
Your Relationships
Think about your relationships—romantic, family, friends, and colleagues. Are they supportive and fulfilling, or are there some toxic dynamics at play? Healthy relationships are a vital part of a happy life.
During your life audit, assess the impact that the people in your life have on your quality of life. It might be time to cut some people lose!
Alternatively, you may want to use the next few months to focus on expanding your social circle and making new relationships.
Your Daily Stress Levels
Stress is one of the biggest causes of poor physical and mental health. So, it’s pretty important that you keep it in check!
What’s your stress like on a daily basis? Are there ways you can reduce it? This might involve looking at your work-life balance or finding better ways to manage responsibilities.
The more you can reduce stress, the better.
Your Values
Are you living in line with your core values? Sometimes we stray from what’s truly important to us without realizing it. Checking in on your values is a key part of a life audit.
Your Time
Time is one of your most valuable resources. Are you using it wisely, or do you often feel like it’s slipping away?
This is a good time to evaluate where your hours are going each day. Optimizing your time is key to increasing your productivity and getting more done.
Your Progression
As a general rule of thumb, always try to be moving forward.
Are you moving forward in life? Progress might not always be linear, but it’s important to feel like you’re heading in the right direction, even if it’s in baby steps.
The goal is to get 1% better every day.
Your Environment
Your environment encompasses your living space, your work space, your commute, your desk area and any other areas that you spend a significant amount of time. These places should make you feel comfortable and at peace.
If this isn’t the case, think about ways that you could optimize your environment for your mental wellbeing.
How to Conduct a Life Audit
Now that you’ve got an idea of what to focus on, here’s how to actually do a life audit (I told you I would get there!).
Step 1: Find the Right Time
Set aside some uninterrupted time to conduct your audit. Whether it’s an afternoon or a weekend, make sure you’re in the right mindset to reflect deeply without distractions.
I recommend doing your audit all at once. This will allow you to keep your train of thought and let your thoughts flow.
Step 2: Decide on Your Life Categories
Choose the key areas of your life you want to audit. This could include the ones we’ve discussed, but feel free to tailor them to your personal situation.
In some cases, you might find that one of the areas mentioned above isn’t that significant right now. You can leave this area out to leave more room to focus on other things.
Be careful here! Don’t leave an area out just because you don’t want to face it. If something is troubling you, face it head on
Step 3: Evaluate Your Satisfaction with Each Category Out of 10
Go through each category and rate your satisfaction out of 10. Don’t overthink it—just go with your gut reaction. This will give you a clear sense of where you’re thriving and where there’s room for improvement.
Step 4: Determine an Overall Life Satisfaction Rating
Once you’ve rated each area, take a step back and ask yourself: how satisfied am I with my life overall?
This is your big-picture score, and it helps to give you an overall snapshot of how you’re feeling.
Step 5: Identify Areas for Improvement
Looking at the areas where your satisfaction score is low, identify what needs to change. This isn’t about striving for perfection but about identifying room for improvement and increased satisfaction.
In my opinion, the more areas for improvement the better! This is because you will be able to make bigger strides in your self improvement.
Also see: How to create a self improvement plan
Step 6: Create SMART Goals to Improve Each Area of Your Life
Now that you know where improvements are needed, it’s time to create some goals. Make them SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
This ensures your goals are actionable and realistic.
Step 7: Create a Plan of Action
Lastly, break down your SMART goals into smaller, actionable steps. What can you do today, this week, or this month to move forward? A clear plan of action will keep you accountable and motivated.
Top Tips for Making Your Life Audit Effective
Thank you for sticking with me! If you’ve got this far down, here are some extra tips to say thank you.
Be Honest with Yourself: This is a reflection for you, so don’t shy away from the truth. If something’s not working, now’s the time to face it.
Don’t Rush It: Take your time to reflect on each area deeply. This is a personal journey, not a race.
Review Regularly: Life changes, and so should your audit. Check in with yourself every few months to see how you’re progressing.
Celebrate Your Wins: It’s not all about the areas that need improvement. Make sure you take time to appreciate the things that are going well.
Conducting a life audit might sound daunting, but it’s actually one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. It gives you clarity, focus, and direction, so you can take control of your life and make this year your best year yet.
