The five areas of life

Life is complex. Health, family, work, and everything else draw on the same time and energy. Without structure, attention goes to what is most urgent, not always to what matters most.

Areas divide life into manageable parts. Each part gets its own place, though in practice the Areas remain interconnected. The framework has five Areas, based on five relationships that represent the main ways you engage with life. These relationships are universal, but your experience of them is personal.

Spirituality — Your relationship with Spirit.
The source of all things and spiritual life. You can see this relationship in how you face loss and uncertainty, and in moments of awe, gratitude, or peace.

Self — Your relationship with yourself.
The inner life, personal growth, and well-being. This Area is about knowing yourself, accepting yourself, and growing into the person you want to be.

Environs — Your relationship with Earth.
The natural world and your physical surroundings. You can see this relationship in how the places around you affect your mood and habits, how you care for your surroundings, and how you treat other living things.

Relations — Your relationship with people.
The connections and bonds with others. You can see this relationship in how you feel around others, how you treat them, and how close you are to the people who matter most.

Finances — Your relationship with the economy.
The creation, exchange, and management of resources. You can see this relationship in how you feel about your work and what you have, how freely you give, and how much money weighs on your mind.

Together, these five Areas offer a practical way to organize it all. Everything else can be placed within one of them.

What comes next. For each Area, a Manual defines how you want to live: what you are aiming for, how you want to live, and who or what you learn from. A Planner turns this year's priorities into action: Goals, Tasks, and Time Blocks.