cover image The Life Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Taking Stock, Gaining Control, and Creating the Life You Want

The Life Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Taking Stock, Gaining Control, and Creating the Life You Want

Caroline Righton, . . Broadway, $14.95 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-7679-2329-3

Restructuring your life is a messy and daunting task, and in this brisk, sensible book, British broadcast journalist Righton lays out a plan she calls the Life Audit, designed for the multitudes who are overwhelmed by their day-to-day routines. "The Life Audit is all about assessing your life and then analyzing everything so you can become an informed player in your own existence," explains Righton, who went through her own identity crisis when her two sons left for college. Creating fundamental change requires hard work and self-awareness, and the book presents 48 user-friendly worksheets on all aspects of life, from fitness to finances. Righton breaks down her solution into three stages: first, the Stocktake, where readers examine the state of their lives by using these forms and keeping a Daily Time Log. Second is the Breakeven phase for figuring out how to streamline time spent on must-do's and whittle down unnecessary or draining activities and relationships. Finally, you look ahead to achieving new life goals using the time you have freed up. This well-written and persuasive book was a bestseller in the U.K. and translates effectively to an American audience. (Apr. 11)