Taking Life Inventory

A day late, maybe, but I'm doing the New Year's thing (now that I'm feeling a little more human after too little sleep on the train) and taking an inventory of my life. I've been taking life inventory every so often since about seventh grade, when I laid out a detailed plan for how to convince my parents to let me travel through Europe with a friend. It looked something like this:



1. Prove I am responsible.

2. Earn money.

3. Learn French.



...okay, maybe these aren't the most finite and measureable goals, but they did lead to some life changes and I did, eventually, get to go to Europe. I also got to go to college, which I was also under the impression I was paying for at the time (since my parents hadn't said otherwise and I never thought to ask).



Point is: taking inventory helps me see if I'm heading in the direction I want to be heading and adjust course as needed. Kind of like setting New Years' resolutions, but with equal attention to looking back as to looking forward.



If you want to take inventory of your own life, be sure to pair the inventory--that is, the list of what you like, what you don't like, what you want to change, and so on--with your goals for the new year. Take what you find and plan accordingly.

1. Set goals that are specific and realistic, but leave yourself some wiggle room for when life intervenes.


2. Be accountable to someone--a friend, writing partner, or blog readers :)--who will help keep you going when you hit a roadblock.


3. Be sure to notice your progress in some way, whether that means checking in with an accountability partner or keeping a log or just posting sticky notes on your wall. '


4. Plan to celebrate each step of your journey.


5. Be open to course changes and the winds of fortune.

I like to take inventory of where I've been and where I'm going: it's a chance to discover that yes, I am actually making forward progress, even though it's not always apparent on a daily basis. It's a chance to step out fresh on the road, with the whole world ahead.



What course will you chart for the year ahead?



:) Cheryl