Quarterly life audit – part 2

Every quarter or so I like to hit PAUSE on my life for a day or so and sit down with myself for a life audit. I’ve posted about it before.

I talk to myself like one of those really annoying people at parties that want a D&M when all you want to do is get squiffy, eat chips and chat about shoes. You know the ones: you’re standing in a big group of people but they speak so quietly that only you can hear them. You feel compelled to lean in just to be polite, then suddenly you find the group has closed over, and you are stuck in the corner copping the full eyeball, and answering questions like: “How are you? No, I mean, how are you really?”

Ugh. OKAY, Annoying Party Guest Carolyn. Let’s do this thing.

First I like to make a list of the stuff that I am on top of. It’s the first rule of providing feedback to anyone: start with the positives. (Any writers out there, take note next time your editor emails you with feedback. You’re being handled.)

I’ve achieved a lot of stuff lately – stuff that has made me feel really great.

  • I ran my first half marathon.
  • I’ve hired an accountant to help me get on top of my finances (and I’ve even nearly filled out the paperwork to get started – baby steps…This week, Kym!)
  • I’ve learned to arm knit.

140716 half marathon tick

Okay, that list isn’t as long as I’d like. Oh well, let’s move on to stuff I feel I’m lacking.

  • I’m missing some balance and stillness.
  • I’m still spending too much money.
  • I’m not as strong and flexible as I would like to be.

Hey, that list isn’t all that long either! And those points are easy to address. What I need are quick, easy, and measurable actions. So here are my New Quarter Resolutions:

  1. Get back to doing some meditation – start with 10 minutes three days a week. I will also include putting down my phone when talking to other people – especially my husband and children, who apparently I’m supposed to look at occasionally. They’re sensitive souls.
  2. Start recording my spending so I can get a handle on where all my money is disappearing to.
  3. Get back to weight training twice a week, and yoga once a week, to complement the running I’m already doing.

As it happens, I have included one mental, one physical and one ‘life’ issue to work on. I like this balance and I think three is really a manageable number of things to be working on each quarter. More than that and you’re swamped and unlikely to remember or follow through. Less than that and you aren’t really trying.

What do you think? Could your life do with an audit? What do you need to work on?

Written By

Carolyn is the editorial director of Champagne Cartel and a freelance writer. In her spare time she is a long-distance runner, peanut butter enthusiast, and single mum to three incredible humans.

4 Comments

  • I’d be way too scared to be audited right about now! I know my husband would like me to put my phone down more often, but I work full time and my blog ain’t gonna run itself, mate! I’m back on track with exercise this week thanks to my gym opening up a branch within walking distance from work (hello lunchtime workouts!) and my eating is really good during the week. I’m still wishing for a lotto win so I can quit work, write full time, finish the house, hire a PT and enjoy an overseas holiday. We all need dreams, right?!

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