As I write this we are in quarter 4 of the very challenging year that is 2020.
We started the new decade full of so much hope.
Well that took a turn.
But dear friend there are still blessings and there is still hope. And these tips on living more intentionally and doing a life audit for you and your business can help you no matter when you are reading this.
I have completed courses and books and projects that I have needed to complete for a long time during the lockdown we have been experiencing which has been looong here in Ecuador. But I have also taken time to sit and cry. To pray for our family and the world. To just be sad.
Because while I do believe in taking advantage of the time to work on myself and my business I also greatly respect mental health. There is a balance and life can be super hard sometimes. I think we have all been affected by what has been going on in some way.
So I offer this post to you in the hopes that you will give yourself grace.
And I have a gift for you at the end that will help you with a life audit.
This is not about being frustrated about what has not gotten done or circumstances we can not do much about. This is about taking a moment to evaluate and breathe and start new. Because you are still here and there is still time for you.
If we do not take moments to reflect we often just get swept up in what is happening and find ourselves just trying to survive the day whether our routines, habits, and attitudes are working for us and our families or not. With all the chaos in the world right now that we cannot control, there are things we can. Things we can choose to do that can make a difference in our sense of peace and happiness.
The Life Audit Adding or Taking Away?
And it’s not always about adding more goals and new things to do. Sometimes, many times, regrouping our lives is about letting go of some things that we just no longer care about completing or no longer need to complete and making peace with that.
If you are a Type A person like me, taking something uncompleted off a list can be hard. But this is your life. You get to choose. If there is something undone that is also unneeded and holds no passion for you, is it really worth your time and effort?
I heard an interview with Arianna Huffington talking about that. In her 40s she did a life audit and decided that she had goals on her list that were never going to happen and were not important to her anymore and she chose to just let them go.
I’m not talking about breaking commitments we made to others here though. We need to keep our word as best we can. That is why it is great to learn how to say no so we do not overcommit and feel resentful later.
What is a Life Audit?
A life and business audit is to your being what a good spring cleaning is to your house. With spring cleaning you would start with the areas that are most cluttered, get rid of stuff you don’t need, organize the rest and then clean everything to a sparkle.
Just like people have their own methods of spring cleaning adapted to their lifestyle, you can create your own kind of life audit.
Spring cleaning advice often starts with getting some boxes to eliminate items in different ways- a donate box, trash box, keep box, etc. For your life audit, this can look like writing down the major focuses of your life.
Some life boxes/areas of focus could be:
- Health and Wellness
- Social and Relationships
- Spiritual Life
- Business
- Money and Finances
- Personal Growth
and more.
Choose names for each area that resonates with you.
Then go through those areas and write down what is working in each area and what is not or what you are loving in each area and what just makes you cringe.
Areas will overlap which actually makes this task less overwhelming. Your finances will be tied up with your business. Health with your spiritual life, etc.
You may want to break your business down in boxes of its own. Like social media, email, networking- whatever major areas you focus on for your business to evaluate what is actually getting you traction.
You Can Do All The Things But…
You can do all the things just not at the same time. So as you evaluate what is working and what is not, you can see what the weak areas are. No shame please. This is not a get hard on yourself session. Maybe your focus has been elsewhere for good reason. Just see.
And then you can decide if any of the weak areas are actually really important to you but have not been getting prioritized. Maybe you have health goals that you really want to achieve but they have gotten lost in the days and months. That’s ok. Just decide on some small steps you can take to make the area of health a greater priority in life.
You could join a challenge.
Story time…
My husband and I were doing short workouts that were totally doable together in the morning but it was hit or miss. We may do them for a few days and then end up skipping a whole week.
So we started a workout challenge with YouTube videos where we followed a schedule focusing on a different body area one per week for a whole month. The workouts were a little longer and harder than what we were doing before, but still easy to incorporate into our mornings with some discipline. And because it was a challenge with a set schedule we stuck to it and did not miss a single day.
We are now a month out from that month challenge and we have still been working out, following a different calendar, every single day, at least a little. Even if it is just a short stretching video. We don’t want to break our momentum. And the consistency has made all the difference.
Small Completed Is Better Than Big Undone
A 10-minute workout completed daily is more beneficial than saying you will do a thirty minute workout daily and quitting in less than a week.
Sometimes we are taking a lot of action throughout the day but it’s the wrong kind. What we might call just busywork.
So make it a part of your life audit to figure out how you can meet the goals you do want to keep with small daily actions. You may want to check out How To Use Micro Habits To Change Your Life
When you have your areas, and know what is working and what is not, and ideas for how to make what you want to keep work, get rid of the rest. Mentally clear it out. Take it off your lists. Whatever you need to do to let it go.
Then organize your new goals and work to establish the habits and systems that will help you make them happen.
If you really struggle with organizing your time, business, and life The Ultimate Productivity Bundle can help.
Polish It Up
Just like you don’t clean once and done, though wouldn’t that be amazing, you don’t audit once and done. Keep adjusting as you go to stay intentional and reflective about your life. But be sure to do so in a positive way. Think daily about what you are most grateful for. What is working out great? What could be improved with some focus?
It is amazing how much just taking some time to reflect and ask the simple questions can make your life better and more intentional. It helps keep us from getting swept away with the everyday tasks and take control of what we can and focus on the things that truly matter to us, not what only matters to someone else.
Make a list of things that make you happy that you can return to when life feels overwhelming. Get a journal to keep with you to reflect and release. Simplify.
A simpler life truly can be a happier one.
We can live better and help others do the same with clarity and gratitude. It takes work. I’m not saying it’s easy. But I truly believe it is worth it.
You may also like 10 Things To Do Now In Self-Quarantine for helpful actions even if you are not in self-quarantine anymore.
In this free workbook, I offer exercises to take you through a life audit quickly with space for notes. Try it and let me know how the clarity changes your life.
What area do you most need an adjustment in? Let me know in the comments!
Now that you are being more intentional, let’s get your business organized. Ultimate Guide How To Organize Your Online Business Now
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