Achieve Your Goals with This 3-Step Plan: Turning Wishes into Reality

The fresh start effect during the New Year motivates many individuals to make significant changes in their lives.

We envision being fully prepared to accomplish our to-do lists, achieve our goals, and attain our ideal selves on January 1st, which is why we make resolutions, diet plans, and exercise regimens.

Although we strive to achieve our New Year's resolutions, there is often a discrepancy between our aspirations and our actual performance.

We underestimate the challenges we'll face when we take on more than we can handle.

Perhaps we select the wrong objectives to begin with - goals that we believe we should pursue rather than those we are genuinely passionate about achieving.

Regardless, there is a better way.

The Life Audit is a system that focuses on discovering your true desires, rather than what you believe you should do.

What is a Life Audit?

An exercise in self-reflection, a Life Audit helps you discover your fundamental values and strongest aspirations.

In my book "The Life Audit," I explain a method for self-reflection that is both soft and results-oriented, which has helped me and numerous readers achieve their goals and create the life they desire.

The audit incorporates UX research and design thinking best practices, which are commonly used by successful tech companies to develop successful products.

Having spent a decade in user research at companies such as Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter, I have witnessed firsthand how these approaches can help individuals achieve their desired life. I have used these insights to develop a step-by-step method that can guide you through the process of architecting the life you want.

How does it work?

The Life Audit consists of three phases that aim to enhance your self-reflection and help you discover your true desires, ultimately enabling you to transform them into reality.

Performing a Life Audit is effortless and affordable since it doesn't necessitate any costly gadgets; you can accomplish it from the convenience of your own home at any moment.

1. Dream (the generative phase)

Rewrite the sentence: "Give yourself an hour with a stack of sticky notes and a sharpie." Alternative version: "Spend an hour with a pile of sticky notes and a sharpie."

Write down one wish or desire for your life on each sticky note. Your wishes can be grand and future-oriented, such as "Write a book!" or immediate and daily, like "Be more patient."

Strive for 100 wishes in an hour during this time of exploration and curiosity about your desires.

2. Learn (the analysis phase)

Organize your hundred wishes into categories to create cohesive groups. Examine your notes and arrange them in a way that makes sense.

Rewritten sentence: "I am passionate about exploring new spiritual practices and connecting with my community through volunteering."

After grouping your desires, take a moment to contemplate the outcome. What do your wishes reveal about your character? Do you feel taken aback by the results?

Rewritten: Revise the sentence to create an alternative version while maintaining the same length. Identify which of these desires feel more like "shoulds" than "wants." These may be expectations imposed by others, such as society, parents, or bosses. Disregard those that are not your own. This is your Life Audit.

Rewritten: Keep track of the areas you expect to be full of wishes, but if they're not, it may indicate that they're not as important to you or that you're already taking care of them.

3. Plan (the action phase)

One reason resolutions often fail is because we take on too much all at once. The Life Audit is designed to reflect your long-term wishes for your entire life. Even if you complete this exercise around New Year's, you have more time to commit to them gradually.

You may choose three to five wishes that you would like to focus on this year. You may select based on their feasibility, excitement, or urgency.

Before pursuing your wishes, consider if you have the necessary resources and support to achieve them. If not, what modifications may be required? For instance, resources and support that can aid include:

• Recruiting someone to join you in attending a weekly yoga class can provide accountability.
• Breaking down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps, such as committing to read a paragraph each night as a first step towards reading more.
• Specifying the frequency of socializing with friends, such as scheduling two catch-up dates per month, rather than simply expressing a desire for more time together.

Why the Life Audit is better at turning wishes into reality

The traditional approach to problem-solving often overlooks the fact that humans are unpredictable and can be influenced by our emotions, leading to self-sabotage.

A Life Audit can help you discover concealed desires and create a practical plan for achieving them.

Ximena Vengoechea is a multitalented individual who is a user researcher, writer, and illustrator. She is the creator of the Life Audit and has authored several nonfiction books, including "The Life Audit: A Step-By-Step Guide to Discovering Your Goals and Building the Life You Want" and the upcoming companion "The Life Audit Journal." Her writing has been featured in Inc., The Washington Post, Newsweek, Forbes, and Fast Company, and she also writes the Letters from Ximena newsletter.

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