Your Guide to a Much Needed Life Audit, Part 1: Mental

9 key questions to audit your mental state

“This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.” -St. Augustine

Hey!

I’m honestly so excited about this life audit series. I was originally going to do just one post, but as I began brainstorming, I had too many ideas.

You would probably fall asleep reading the countless ways to examine your life, that’s how long it would be. The sun would rise, then set, then rise again.

I’m sure I’m still missing things, but I tried to break it down into three categories for a holistic life audit.  Mental, physical, and spiritual are the categories I chose because I firmly believe if even one of those is out of balance, then the rest will also be thrown out of balance.

And I think it is so important to do this at least once a year, if not more often. As Christians, we are called to excellence. We can’t achieve excellence if we are not improving. And we can’t improve if we don’t reflect.

So let’s improve.

Together.

I know you’re going to skim this post and then go straight back to whatever important social media scrolling you were in the middle of, not taking the time to think deeply about these questions.

Don’t do that. Take this to prayer, and really reflect on it. I know you are busy. The fish needs to be watered, and the grains of sand are waiting to be counted, but this will be worth it. Even better, sit down with one of your best friends or a significant other and do it together over a glass of wine and popcorn.

So let’s get started!

1) How is my self-discipline?

I put this one first because it is by far the most important. Everything in your life stems from self-discipline. Being good at anything worthwhile takes self-discipline to achieve.

If we lack self-discipline, we can’t weed sin out of our lives. For example, how will you practice purity in your relationship if you have to snooze your alarm three times before you get out of bed? While they are not directly related, if you can’t control yourself in small ways, how will you control yourself in more important ways? If you can’t follow through with commitments you make with friends, how will you pray and read your bible daily? It all connects.

Just like Serena Willams didn’t just stumble upon being one of the best tennis players, Mother Teresa didn’t accidentally become a saint. Mother Teresa didn’t feel like praying every day, in fact, in the last decades of her life, she felt extremely far and distant from God. She wrote a letter in 1955 saying,

“That darkness that surrounds me on all sides — I can’t lift my soul to God — no light or inspiration enters my soul.” 

Yet she continued to serve Him wholeheartedly and no one suspected the spiritual pain she was in as she continued to serve and be a joyful light of Christ.

Disclaimer: we don’t make ourselves holy, it’s only through God but He gives us free will to choose Him daily, something we need self-discipline to do.

You probably already have a gut feeling about how disciplined you are, but here are a few questions to further discern this.

Do you pray daily? Do you stick to your word? Are you flaky? If you give something up for lent, do you stick with it? Do you get to bed at a decent time? Do you wake up to your first alarm? Does the late-night bag of potato chips disappear rather quickly?

If you struggle with self-discipline, pick small things to conquer and go from there. As you get better at the small things, the big things will become easier. Self-discipline is a muscle, the more you flex it, the stronger it gets. Most people suggest getting out of bed at the first alarm and then making the bed a good act of discipline to get you started.

2) Am I learning right now?

We should always be learning. It helps us stay excited about life. God gave us minds and intellect, so we should use it. Especially with the internet, learning is so easy, we have no excuses.

Are you reading/ listening to any audiobooks? Do you have hobbies? Are you passionate about things? Do you say yes to new opportunities?

If none of these are yeses, then let’s change that.

3) How do I see myself?

4) Am I recharging?

God did not design our lives to be frantic and draining. Even in the busy periods of our lives where we must grind, if we are doing so in accordance to God, peace should accompany it. If there isn’t time to recharge in your life, then something needs to be cut out. Did God not create the world in 6 days, and then take the 7^th to rest? How much more are we in need rest than God is?

When was the last time you did something without a productive purpose? When you have free time, do you fill it with restful things or with mindless scrolling? Do you know what drains you and what brings you to life?

5) Am I challenging myself?

The best experiences in life are often when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones. In doing so, we gain confidence, strength, fun stories, meet new people, and grow.

Do you face challenges head-on or avoid them? What is something that makes you uncomfortable? Do it. When was the last time you read something slightly above your reading level? Do you complain when challenged or look at the challenge as a way to grow?

6) Are my conversations stimulating?

You become like the five people you hang around. Nothing is more satisfying than having deep conversations about meaningful things. This is essential for growth. I find other Christians are the easiest to have these conversations because we already have common ground in virtue. Find open-minded people who like discussing disagreements for bonus points.

Do my conversations challenge me to think deeper? Or from a different perspective? Do I ask the deeper questions? How often am I discussing ideas versus gossiping about people? Do I feel fulfilled when I leave conversations?

7) How much time is spent on social media?

I’m sure we are all guilty of this one. We all know social media is bad, blah blah, blah. Okay, then what are you doing about it? Science has shown time and time again that the negatives far outweigh the positives. We have no excuse. Absolutely none.

 Are you actively fighting the amount of time you spend on social media or have you given up? What is holding you back from just deleting it? Would you be willing to try deleting it for a month? Does what you see on social media build you up and help you become a better Christian? If not, consider unfollowing some accounts.

8) Am I anxious about the future or the past?

When our thoughts are in the future or the past, we lose much mental clarity. The decisions we make are not as sensible and we carry extra weight with us. If your past stays in your thoughts and holds you back, this is important to bring to prayer. If you don’t take risks or are constantly anxious about the future, reflect on the times God took care of you.

Do I assume the worst in people and situations? Do I give the benefit of the doubt? Do I let past situations hold me back from good things? Does my trust lie in the Lord? Do I pray/ go to scripture when I feel anxious?

9) Is my room clean?

This may seem trivial, but the state of your room says a lot about who you are and where you are mentally. I know when my room is a mess, it is usually because I feel either overwhelmed or slightly depressed, neither is good. It’s a simple way to show that the space you are in is important because you are important. It goes back to point one of self-discipline.

 Alec Benjamin has a song where he writes,

“ I really wanna change the world
But can’t change my clothes
Wanna find a girl but can’t find my phone”

-Change my clothes

How can we help someone else get their life together if ours isn’t? When our rooms are messy, are we usually thriving physically and spiritually? I bet the answer is no. Take care of yourself and take care of your environment. Make it a priotrity.

Well, I hope this provides a way forward to becoming a step or two closer to the image of Christ. That you may add and subtract the things needed to keep your all things in line with God’s desire for your life.

Comment which audit stands out to you most below.

Praying for you always,

Xoxo

Rory😊