I love a good self-improvement moment. Although I am a fan of being content with what I have, I also know that I can always be working on myself and trying to be better. One of my best tools in this journey is something that I call a life edit. Many people have similar concepts to this, like Krista Williams of Almost 30.
I first did a life edit-esque activity this spring, when I purchased The Possibility of You on a whim on a trip to Los Angeles. In the book, there is a section that asks you to draw six sections of your life on a pie chart based on how satisfied you are with them. I am a very visual person, so this activity helped me, but you could also just rate each on a scale of 1-10. By starting with this, you realize where you need to draw your focus.
When I do my own quarterly life edits, I still start with this activity. Then, I journal about each area of my life: what I am satisfied and dissatisfied with, ideas or goals that I have that I’ve been putting off, and what needs to change. The areas I focus on are:
- Finances
- School/work
- Relationships
- Home
- Physical/mental wellness
- Digital life
Finances
One thing about me is I love to be with people. In college, I feel like so much of being with people revolves around getting food or coffee, which can add up quickly. Finances are always an area I feel iffy about. I always journal about my spending, areas I spend a lot (usually food/coffee), and any goals I want to set. The two most recent goals I set are:
- Set a savings goal
- Check my spending every week instead of every month
You could also create a budget in this section as well.
SCHOOL/WORK
As a full-time student who manages two jobs and an internship, I always try to stay on top of everything. In this section, I will usually journal about my grades/feelings about each class. I also write down how I feel about each of my work commitments. Some goals I set for this are:
- Block out specific time to work on XYZ job each week
- Study for X class for 3 hours the night before the next exam
- Go to office hours to talk about X assignment
Relationships
Relationships mean any relationship; family, friends, a significant other, or a sneaky link. I journal about how I feel about the most important people in my life and if I think I need to reach out more or spend more time with them. Some goals for this section could be:
- Set up a weekly friend date
- Text my out-of-state friend once a week
- Set boundaries with a friend who isn’t being a great friend right now
Home
This section is all about my space. I try to clean every week, but sometimes there are random errands I need to do. I just got rid of a rug last week that had been sitting in my living room since I moved in in August. My roommate and I also talk about decorating our living room all the time, so these kinds of activities were on my list this quarter. Possible goals for this could be:
- Set aside time to clean each week
- Talk to my roommate about organizing our space
- Clean the fridge
PHYSICAL/MENTAL WELLNESS
I always spend a lot of time on this section because it’s so much to think about. It could really be split into two sections if you want. I journal about how I feel about my body and mind. Have I been stressed lately? Why? Am I making time to move my body? I’ll look at things like how many steps I get each day and if I’m closing my rings on my Apple Watch. Some recent goals I set for this section are:
- Make time for intentional movement daily
- Set up a weekly, non-negotiable self-care date
- Average 10,000 steps a day for my week
DIGITAL LIFE
This last section is usually short for me. I usually look at my screen time, what apps I’m using the most, and how I feel about my relationship with my phone and social media. Possible goals could be:
- Spend no more than 30 minutes per day on social media
- Go through my apps and delete the ones that I don’t use
- Create a Focus on my phone
Taking Action
After I spend some time journaling, I go through and make a list of every action item or goal. Then, I add them to my Notion (which is where I organize my whole life). If I want to block off time for something, I go ahead and do that on my calendar. I try to take action immediately on as many goals as I can and then split the remaining action items over the next two weeks.
CONCLusion
Life edits are one of my favorite tools for taking control of my life. I think it’s so important to take intentional time to check in with myself. I hope this article helped you start thinking about how you can structure your own personal life edit. No matter how you think about it, I hope you take this and use it to become the best version of yourself.