Use this extremely simple ‘wish list’ framework to build the life you want

The first time I conducted my life audit, I remember looking at my wish list with a mix of excitement and trepidation. I had a clear view of what was important to me, and there was a lot. Where to begin?

To help prevent analysis paralysis, I decided to map my desires on a spectrum of “when.” This would give me a sense of when to focus on which wishes. As I examined my life audit, three categories emerged:

Always: Core values and intentions to live by every day. One of mine is, “To share what I’ve learned in life and professionally.”

Soon: Wishes that were immediately actionable but in need of next steps and prioritization. In theory, these could be undertaken in the next six to 12 months, such as my personal goal, “To publish a podcast series.”

Someday: Milestone moments and long-term goals; for instance, “To be spry at 80.”

No matter how many wishes you come up with, you might look at your map of goals and interests and think, “Amazing!” but also “Oh boy!” In this section, we’ll use time as our primary dimension to map our goals and desires. This is the first step to making them more manageable and actionable.

Always (Core values and intentions)

Always wishes are those we carry with us day-to-day, such as “to be more generous” or “to be a good friend.” How do your values show up in your life audit results? Looking at your wishes, draw a heart on any sticky notes that reflect a mantra, core value, or intention you wish to live by every day.

Soon (Near-term goals)

Soon goals are those you’d like to tackle sooner rather than later, with soon meaning “in the next 6 to 12 months.” Often, it’s the culmination of our near-term goals (learn ProTools) and our core values (persistence) that lead us to eventually completing our someday goals (produce a podcast).

Soon goals might look like:

• Get off my family cell plan
• Take a rock climbing class
• Volunteer at the local soup kitchen
• Publish my first blog post
• Go on more date nights
• Get a personal trainer

Looking at your goals, draw an arrow on any sticky notes that reflect something you want to do in the near term.

Someday (Long-term goals)

Someday goals are future aspirations. These are hopes and goals you have for yourself “at some point” in your life. Often, these goals serve as a North Star to help us organize our shorter-term goals into alignment.

Someday goals might look like:

• To make $100,000 by the time I am 30
• To fall in love
• To open a café
• To start a business
• To learn a new language
• To host a podcast
• To buy a house
• To learn Reiki
• To publish a children’s book
• To hit a bestseller list

Looking at your goals, draw a star on any sticky notes that reflect something you want to do someday in the future. In some cases, you may feel that a wish could be a soon or a someday. Notice when you feel this tension and do your best to put a stake in the ground. We’ll continue to refine this in the next section.

Tally wishes by time

Note how many themes fit within each time frame. From this vantage point, you will see more clearly the wishes you could pursue now but have not yet prioritized, those you want to do at some point, and those you want to carry with you and live out each day.

This excerpt is from The Life Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Discovering Your Goals and Building the Life You Want by Ximena Vengoechea, published by Chronicle Books 2024 and reprinted with permission.