| Spiritual
Audit
Many are familiar with the concept of a financial audit,
whereby accounts and records are examined and checked for
accuracy.
A spiritual audit is quite similar. The purpose is to ensure
that you are on track to accomplish your most important priorities
in life.
Although a spiritual
audit is best done on a regular basis at a time like New
Year’s or your birthday, it is especially
important to conduct one when a spiritual crisis occurs (such
as addiction, anxiety, depression, or relationship problems)
or when contemplating a major change in your life.
Try these simple steps to perform a spiritual audit:
- List
the three or so most important priorities in your life
that bring meaning to your life.
- Calculate
the percentage of your time in a typical week that you
invest in these
areas. There are 168 hours in a week,
so figure how many hours go into the basics (such as
sleeping, eating, bathing, dressing), working, watching television,
and other activities.
- List
the top three or so activities that receive the most
time.
- Compare
the lists of top priorities and top time users.
- Consider
whether you are on track with your top priorities.
- Ask
yourself the tough questions: If your family is a top
priority, how much time are you spending with
your family? If physical health is a top priority, how much time are you
putting into exercise? If spiritual growth
is a top priority, how much time does your spiritual
life receive? Is earning
a living hindering your most important relationships?
- Identify
any priorities that need more of your time, to make
your life more fulfilling.
- Ask
those most important to you if there is anything you
could be doing differently
to make your relationship
more fulfilling for them.
- Initiate
new behavioral patterns to bring your priorities and
time into closer alignment. For example,
you might choose to change jobs or spend less time watching television to
make more time for exercise, spouse,
or children.
In
addition, ask someone who seems to have his or her life priorities
on track what they do to get and keep their priorities on
track.
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