It’s Time for a Life Edit – Here’s a step-by-step guide

Like many others, I spent a good part of the pandemic feeling out of control. With my working time reduction, the sale of my rental house and that consistent state of languish, I was overwhelmed by the unfamiliar chaos of my life. I clung to any predictability I could count on. But with perfect timing manifestation found its way into my life. I first heard about the concept from my social media feeds. In addition to influencers and the wellness elite, I saw posts from friends sharing the magic of manifestation.

As I dived into practice, I wished for a little more support in creating the life of my dreams. An annual life edit helped bring clarity and make space to attract what I truly wanted. Read on – the results are worth it!

What is a life edit?

I learned about the concept from one of my favorite podcasts, almost 30. In Ep. 296, co-host Krista Williams shares how a life edit gave her greater clarity and mental peace. As an important step in manifesting your dream life, a thorough editing is designed to help you see each part of your life in its current state. Dive deep into all facets of your life: digital, home, finance, wellness, mental health and social. By doing this, you give yourself the opportunity to spend a lot of time sorting through the “clutter” and making room for what you wish to manifest.

For me, a life edit was the missing piece to help me lean into manifestation. While manifesting is about turning your thoughts into reality, the reality you desire does not come about simply by desire. Instead, manifestation is a matter of intentional direction. Essentially, you learn to change your actions, beliefs, and habits to support the life you desire. But of course you can’t change what you don’t know yet. And that’s where, dear readers, a life edit comes into play.

Think of a life edit as a re-evaluation. It’s an opportunity to take stock and get a pulse of where your life stands at the moment. The best way to clean a room is to (hard) take everything out and only put back what you really want. That’s exactly what we do with a Life Edit, but it’s not just about your physical stuff. By slowing down and observing our lives, we can see what we are letting go of and what we ultimately want to welcome. The space between our dreams and reality is getting so much narrower. Let’s go through the six areas you’ll be focusing on, along with tips and tricks to ensure you’re getting the most out of your life edit.

How to edit a life

Step 1: Reflect

While I’m someone who rushes into things before I know how to succeed, I’m trying to break that habit by taking deliberate breaks. So, while a life cut sounds exciting (spoilers: it is), the best way to make sure you’re getting what you need is to calm down and spend time with your diary. Not a fan of journaling? Think of it this way: putting our thoughts into words gives them a consistency that keeping beliefs in our heads cannot. It’s a bit like creating a roadmap for yourself and the people who swear by yours morning pages can attest: It’s one of the best ways to find some much-needed clarity.

Identify six different sections in your journal to reflect on the following areas of your life: Digital, Home, Finance, Wellness, Mental Health, and Social Life. From there, answer the following questions:

• What do I want more of in this area of ​​my life?
• What feels overwhelming?
• Do I feel blockages that prevent me from reaching my goals?
• What would you like me to introduce more of?
• What can I share?
• What would it look like to feel a greater sense of peace?

Step 2: Accept that this will be a challenging process

Before you dive in, I want you to know that this part of your life can take a while. There’s no set schedule, but you want to be sure not to rush the process. Be patient and have mercy on yourself. We often don’t believe enough in ourselves how challenging it can be to let go of objects or say goodbye to relationships that no longer serve us. And coming face to face with the reality of our financial lives can be hard to swallow.

At first, these truths kept me from acting on what I wrote in my journal. I searched saving more money but seeing my spending habits caused a whole bout of shame. And while I no longer searched feeling compelled to get into a relationship, my fear of conflict kept me from standing up for myself. The best thing you can do is move forward. It will be difficult and uncomfortable, but nothing is more challenging than getting stuck.

Step 3: Take action

When you’ve spent enough time thinking and journaling, identify the area of ​​your life you want to focus on first. (Pro tip: start with what feels easiest and build momentum from there.) Using your journal responses as a guide, take the time to sift through and sort through everything that relates to that part of your life relates. So when you start your digital life, focus on your devices and your online presence. Spend time on your phone and computer to delete old text messages, rerate contacts, and empty your inbox. Unsubscribe from emails that stress you out and make sure you haven’t signed up for subscriptions you no longer use. Would you like to spend less time on social media? Need to let go of a few profiles that are making you feel drained? Consider the steps to help you achieve your goals.

Personally, I had the most fun with Marie Kondo in my apartment. It gave me the ability to separate my stuff into storage, donation, and garbage heaps. (The closet cleaning was the most satisfying part.) Remember: no life cut looks the same. This will be a deeply personal and emotional process that can stress you out in certain areas where others will feel completely calm. That’s perfectly fine! One thing that is common to all life edits? You will feel more aligned and confident about where to put your focus, attention and energy as you step into this next phase of life.

I finished. What now?

While I’m happy to do a Life Edit annually, there’s nothing stopping you from doing one as often as you like. The purpose is to notice when you’re feeling overwhelmed and lean into a life edit to bring you more clarity. And yes, it feels amazing to move through the process. However, it is important to remember that this is an ongoing journey. The always elusive concept of balance is not something we are meant to achieve and maintain at all times. Every day we meet new people, pursue new goals, and welcome new objects into our lives. By treating a life edit as a consistent practice, you can be confident that you have what you need to create the life you want.