Messy Life, Honest Life

“The only true death is to never live.”
“Those who run from death, stood still in life.”
– from The Lamb and the Wolf – Kindred Voices.

A long time ago, I came across a “wheel of life” quiz that asked me to rate my satisfaction in different areas of my life. And because I was feeling low at the time, I gave myself low scores across the board. That did not help my overall mood, of course, because nothing lifts the spirit like giving yourself a solid two out of ten in every category, but a few days later I started wondering how I can score higher.

That question led me to a yearly ritual. Between November and January, I look back on the year that has passed and then look ahead, thinking about what I want to explore, experience, or achieve in the upcoming year.

I divide my reflections into two main areas: personal and career, each with its own categories.

Personal	Career
• Health and Fitness • Intellectual • Emotional Intelligence • Character • Spiritual • Love • Family • Social • Financial	• Improving professional skills • Problem solving and creative thinking • Coping with stress and burnout • Health at work and energy preservation • Improving task management and teamwork • Improving decision making • Communication at work

It takes me a few months to go through all of this because it is a full process for me, and I would like to share the journey. My overall plan has 4 stages.

Stage 1: Reflect and Write Everything Down

I start by reviewing last year’s list, checking what has changed and what I want to add. At this stage, I pretend that things like finances or time do not exist. I simply write down everything I desire, almost like that familiar question from Lucifer: “What is it that you truly desire?”

Stage 2: Group and Prioritize

My list is always long and a bit overwhelming. In this stage, I group everything based on the resources I currently have. These include money, time, effort, and enjoyment. I then give each item a priority level based on how achievable it is.

This is also the stage where I have a serious heart-to-heart with myself about whether I actually want something, or if I just think it sounds cool and impressive, which usually means I am letting other people’s opinions shape what I believe I should want.

• Priority 1: achievable within the current year
• Priority 2: achievable within three years
• Priority 3: achievable within five or more years

Stage 3: Planning

To keep myself from feeling overwhelmed, I choose up to three items from each category and spread them across the year. Sometimes I dedicate a specific month to focus on one category, which helps me stay grounded instead of trying to do everything at once.

I also remind myself that not everything on the list is a commitment. Some goals are there simply because I am curious to try them. The same goes for routines I hope to add, or the ones I have neglected but want to return to. This part of the process gives me room to explore without feeling pressured to turn every interest into a lifelong mission.

For items in Priority 2 or 3, the purpose is simply to make slow progress so they can eventually move into Priority 1.

Stage 4: Recording

This is the stage where I keep track of what I am really doing. I record my progress, adjust goals that turned out to be too optimistic, and occasionally add a new one if life allows it. Later, during my next review, this stage becomes proof that I did more than I remembered.

One of the ways I keep these records is through writing, but I also use photos. Pictures have the power to revive moments and help me cherish memories that might otherwise fade with time. They capture the small steps, the quiet victories, and the things I might overlook if I relied on memory alone.