Where is our life headed?
It’s a question we all ask ourselves as we step into a new year. Let 2017 be the year when you take up your life’s ledger and do an audit. A new year has a way of making us happy and sad at the same time. As we spend time with our family, party with friends, there’s also that knot in the tummy, that nagging thought that doesn’t leave us.

Will this year be any better or worse than the last one? Or, will it be the same?Instead of a mental audit driving you… well, why not do an actual life audit this year?

Pen down your goals and assess your priorities. Count your losses and add your gains.

Sounds scary?
Not if you realize that you can control your life’s ledger with just pen and paper. Or a laptop. Sometimes life can get in the way of itself and that’s why, every now and then, it’s important to take a step back and check how we are we doing.

Sifting through life’s chaos
2017 audit is an exercise in self-reflection that helps you clear the cobwebs of noisy, external goals. It is the spring-cleaning for the soul. Life can be crazy and goes by so fast that we get busy reacting to it rather than creating it. A life audit is vital if you want to be in charge of your life rather than let it take charge of you. Caught in a frenetic pace, juggling an ever-increasing workload, more family responsibilities, and people’s expectations, we lose track of our priorities.

Reassessing goals
In short, revisit your wheel of life every few months to make sure you are on track, or to change your priorities. Revisiting your 2017 periodically every few months will make you realise if our goals have changed as we have evolved.

Let’s ask us these questions…
Am I doing what I want to with my life?‘
Am I fulfilled?

Start small to finish well

Revisiting your goals helps us understand our journey and make a note of our progress, or even makes us realize where we are stuck. It simply helps you map your life’s wishes.
Make simple changes. Look at each area of your life — work, health, relationships — and see what you like and what you’d like to change. It’s important not to get stuck at past mistakes while auditing your own life. Focus on your future plan and take simple steps to small successes. In time, they will transform your life completely.

The turning point
You’d be astonished at the small things that suck our energies. Introspection requires time, honesty and guts. But if you are able to bite the bullet, the results are magical. And priceless.

How to do it!

• Write down every wish: From career aspirations and basic everyday changes to big life-changing dreams, write freely. This is a judgment-free zone.

• Organise your wishes: Categorise them into sub-sections; health, finance, relationship etc. Underline the big shifts you expect to make.
• Get a bird’s-eye view of your priorities: Ask yourself what can be achieved now, and what you can do in the next few months, and in the long-term.
• Share your goals and what you learn: The simple act of stating your changes aloud can help you stick to them. You may also realize whether you want to focus on one area or do a holistic overhaul.