12 essential life areas to focus on if you want to create your dream life
Brrrrrrrr.
Have you ever looked around and thought, “Is this really the life I’m meant to be living?”
Living intentionally doesn’t mean having all of your problems figured out or fixing everything at once. It means making small, steady choices that add up to a life you actually want to wake up to each morning.
And to do that, it helps to have a map.
That’s where the 12 life areas come in.
When you understand why these areas are important and how they work together, you can begin noticing where you’re thriving, where you’re struggling, and where you’re ready for something new. (And no, you don’t have to overhaul your whole life at once. Please don’t. We like sanity around here.)
Start at the top and move clockwise around the circle. Or don’t. That’s just how MY brain works.
What are the 12 essential life areas?
The 12 essential life areas are the key parts of your life that I believe shape how you feel day to day and long-term.
When you step back and look at them as a whole, you might start to see patterns that explain why you feel the way you do, whether you’re feeling stuck, restless, energized, fulfilled, or any of the other feelings that pass through you from one moment to the next.
Here’s a quick tour of each life area:
1 | Career and Business
This is about the work you do and how it fits into your bigger life vision.
An example might be: Realizing you actually love your job, but it’s eating up every spare hour, and it’s time to set some healthier boundaries.
Visit the Career and Business HUB for guidance.
2 | Charity and giving
This is about how you contribute to causes, communities, and people beyond yourself.
An example might be: Deciding to set up a small monthly donation to a cause you care about instead of feeling guilty for not volunteering every weekend.
Visit the Charity HUB for guidance.
3 | Creativity
This is about all forms of self-expression that make you feel alive and inspired.
An example might be: Dusting off that neglected guitar or signing up for a painting class (even if your first painting will most definitely look like a toddler’s masterpiece).
Visit the Creativity HUB for guidance.
4 | Education and learning
This is about expanding your mind, skills, and worldview.
An example might be: Deciding you’d like to take a short online course on something random but fascinating, like photography or creative writing, just because you want to.
Visit the Education HUB for guidance.
5 | Finances
This is about your relationship with money: earning, saving, spending, and planning.
An example might be: Taking steps to set up sinking funds for travel or emergencies, so future-you isn’t stuck stress-eating ramen.
Visit the Finances HUB for guidance.
6 | Fun
Yes, this is a whole category. Fun isn’t a luxury. It’s fuel for your soul.
An example might be: Deciding you’d rather hold a weekend-long danceathon than go camping with your buddies from work, again.
Visit the Fun HUB for guidance.
7 | Health (mental and physical)
This is about taking care of your body and mind so you can fully live your life.
An example might be: Choosing to book a check-up and schedule 10 minutes of daily quiet time to breathe and reset.
Visit the Health HUB for guidance.
8 | Home
This is about your living environment and how it supports (or drains) you. This includes where and how you live as well as who lives with you.
An example might be: Decluttering your bedroom so it feels like a restful retreat instead of a scene from a “before” photo, or deciding to live alone instead of with your annoying roommate.
Visit the Home HUB for guidance.
9 | Relationships
This includes family, friends, partners, colleagues—every meaningful connection you have.
An example might be: Having that tough but necessary conversation with someone who drains your energy, and setting a new boundary.
Visit the Relationships HUB for guidance.
10 | Self
This includes self-care, self-growth, and self-respect. (You’re not just a supporting character in everyone else’s story.)
An example might be: Committing to a weekly “you time” ritual, like a Sunday night bath or journal session without guilt. It might mean choosing to protect your sanity by staying away from social media.
Visit the Self HUB for guidance.
11 | Spirituality
This is about your personal connection to a bigger purpose, meaning, religion, or nature.
An example might be: Deciding you’d like to explore morning meditation, walks in nature, prayer, or gratitude journaling; whatever helps you connect.
Visit the Spirituality HUB for guidance.
12 | Travel and Culture
This is about exploring the world (or even just your own town) to experience new people, places, and ideas.
An example might be: Trying new local restaurants featuring a culture you want to learn more about, or planning a future trip to somewhere that sparks your curiosity.
Visit the Travel and Culture HUB for guidance.
Why the life areas matter
It’s one thing to feel like something’s "off" in your life. It’s another thing to actually pinpoint why you’re feeling that way. Only then can you know what to do with that knowledge.
The 12 life areas give you a language and a lens to spot what’s working, what’s not, and where you want to grow.
Instead of saying “I feel stuck and empty and I don’t know why,” you can say, “Oh, I’m feeling disconnected from my creativity and my sense of fun. That’s where I need to shift.”
Intentional living starts with intentional noticing.
Your life is a garden, not a factory
Think of your life like a garden. Some areas are lush and thriving. Others might be overgrown, wilted, or in desperate need of new seeds.
You don’t bulldoze the whole thing when you spot a few weeds. You water what’s thirsty, nourish what’s struggling, and celebrate what’s growing.
Working with the 12 life areas helps you become a wise gardener of your own life, one small, intentional choice at a time.
Read: Your ability to make decisions is key to intentional living
How to start working with your life areas
When you first meet the 12 life areas, it’s easy to want to fix everything all at once. (Trust me, I get it. I once planned a whole “total life makeover” on a single Sunday afternoon... it did not go as planned.)
Instead, try this gentler, more powerful approach:
Step 2: Prioritize
Choose one or two areas to focus on first.
You can choose based on:
Where you feel the most misaligned
Where you feel the most excited to grow
(Choosing joy counts. Big time.)
Step 3: Act
Set one tiny, doable action for each chosen area. Small shifts create momentum. And momentum creates transformation.
My wakeup call
When I first sat down with the 12 life areas, I thought, “Career and finances. Those are the problem areas for me.” But the Life Audit told a different story.
My self-care and fun areas were running on empty. No wonder I felt burned out and joyless.
So I started changing those areas of my life with small changes like:
Reading novels again (not just personal development books - kind of addicted to those)
Scheduling time off without feeling guilty
Remembering that rest is productive
Demanding bi-weekly out-of-the-house date nights with my husband
I didn’t try to change anything else for a few months. Just those little things. And you know… those tiny actions added up and slowly, my life started feeling like it fit again. I started to catch myself smiling, even while doing the dishes. Weird, right?
My point is, you don’t have to overhaul all 12 areas at once. You just have to begin.
You’re closer than you think to living a life that feels true to you. And I’m cheering you on every step of the way. 💛
New around here? Welcome.
At Intendify, we break life down into 12 key areas and offer guided paths to help you reflect, plan, and take action—so you can start living more intentionally, one step at a time.
It’s like having a life coach in your pocket, minus the awkward eye contact.
Explore the Intentional Living life area HUB and start designing a life that feels more like you.