ASPIRE to Build a Life You Love to Maximize Life Satisfaction
Now that you understand the game, you can more successfully build a life you love by focusing on things like amazing relationships, physical health, financial security, and work you truly care about.
ASPIRE Well-Being Check-In
Evaluating your life across the ASPIRE model requires looking beyond high-level categories like "exercise" or "self-love" and examining the specific, evidence-based metrics that reveal your true standing in each domain.
Below is the detailed breakdown of the evaluative factors for the six ASPIRE elements. Use your scores during your "Ascribe, Describe, Prescribe" check-ins to accurately determine how you are doing, explain your scores, and design precise action steps.
Start with an element overview or explore individual factors. Notes are optional.
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Affluential
Preview
Financial Stability, Security, and Freedom
This section is a preview. You can add notes now while the full check-in is being developed.
Overview for Affluential
What is working, what is difficult, and what matters most in this area of your life right now?
What makes sense next for this area of your life? Choose a small step, keep something good going, or leave things as they are for now.
A starting point
These early ideas are not a complete financial plan.
- Frugal lifestyle:
- Over time, as your contentment increases, you'll naturally have fewer wants, which means you'll spend less money.
- Starter emergency fund:
- Begin saving up $1,000.
- Use it only for emergencies and replenish ASAP.
- Learn more: Dave Ramsey's baby step #1 (opens in a new tab)
- Pay off debts:
- Attack the smallest debt first to generate momentum.
- Learn more: Dave Ramsey's baby step #2 (opens in a new tab)
Spiritual
Overview for Spiritual
What is working, what is difficult, and what matters most in this area of your life right now?
What makes sense next for this area of your life? Choose a small step, keep something good going, or leave things as they are for now.
No factors match this filter.
Spiritual well-being focuses on Purpose and Presence. To determine your standing in this domain, consider the following factors:
Sense of Meaning and Purpose (The "Why")
Do you have a clear, compelling reason to wake up in the morning, and do your day-to-day activities and life as a whole feel significant to you?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Work as a Calling
Does your work feel merely like a job or career, or have you re-crafted it into a "calling" where your tasks align with a larger personal mission?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Goals That Fit You (The 3 A's)
How well do your goals fit who you are and what you genuinely want? Consider:
Affection
Are you intrinsically passionate about your goals?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Authenticity
Do your goals align with your core values and how you see yourself?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Autonomy
Are your goals chosen freely out of personal choice, rather than external pressure?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Value-Action Alignment
How closely does the way you spend your time and energy match what you say is important in your life?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Mindful Presence (The "Here and Now")
How well can you anchor your attention in the present moment, rather than letting your mind drift to the past (which fuels regret and depression) or the future (which fuels worry and anxiety)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Formal and Informal Mindfulness Practices
How consistent are you with:
Formal Practice
How consistently do you dedicate time to formal meditation (e.g., sitting breath focus, body scans, or music meditation) to "exercise" your attention muscles?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Informal Practice
How consistently do you cultivate present-moment awareness during routine tasks (e.g., single-tasking instead of multitasking, eating mindfully, or fully immersing yourself in a conversation)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Savoring the Miraculous
How well do you see the extraordinary in the ordinary—finding wonder and joy in simple things like a flower, a fresh piece of bread, or a child playing?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Physical
Overview for Physical
What is working, what is difficult, and what matters most in this area of your life right now?
What makes sense next for this area of your life? Choose a small step, keep something good going, or leave things as they are for now.
No factors match this filter.
Physical well-being is evaluated through the NEST framework (Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Touch) and the Mind-Body Connection. To determine your standing, consider the following factors:
Nutrition
Quality of Fuel
How consistently do you feed your body whole, natural foods rather than highly processed, high-sugar foods that lead to energy slumps and cognitive fog?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
The 80% Rule
How consistently do you eat mindfully and stop when you are 80% full, rather than eating to the point of discomfort?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Hydration
How consistently do you hydrate throughout the day?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Exercise and Movement
Cardiovascular Fitness
How consistently do you meet the baseline requirement of at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week (or 150 minutes a week)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Movement Variety
How well does your physical regime incorporate a mix of activities (aerobic, walking, swimming, etc.) to engage different muscle groups?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Daily Physical Activity / Inconveniencing Yourself
How consistently do you move naturally during your day by "inconveniencing yourself" (e.g., taking the stairs, parking further away, or walking to do errands)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Sedentary Prevention
How consistently do you get up and take a brief movement break (shaking your legs, moving your arms, walking 15 steps) every 20 to 30 minutes, given that "sitting is the new smoking"?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Daily High-Intensity Bursts
How consistently do you perform daily 30-to-60-second bursts of vigorous activity (HIIT/HICT) to spike your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular and stress-recovery systems?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Strength/Weight Training
How consistently do you engage in weight/resistance training at least twice a week, which is crucial for metabolism, mobility, posture, and reversing physical aging markers?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Sleep, Rest, and Recovery
Sleep Duration
How regularly do you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Sleep Rhythm Consistency
How consistently do you maintain a stable bedtime and wake-up time to regulate your biological clock?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Intermittent Recovery (Oscillation)
How consistently do you balance energy expenditure with regular rest periods during the day, taking a focused 5-to-10-minute recovery break every 90 to 120 minutes to prevent chronic, linear burnout?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Interpersonal Touch
Touch Sufficiency
How well is your physical need for touch met through regular, positive contact (e.g., aiming for 5 hugs a day, physical intimacy, or massages), which reduces cortisol, lowers anxiety, and boosts immune function?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Body Posture (Mind-Body Integration - MBI)
Posture and Emotional State
How well do you use your posture to support your emotional state (e.g., standing tall with a straight back and chest out to reinforce self-confidence, rather than slouching, which breeds fatigue and sadness)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Emotional Body Awareness
How well do you notice and work with possible emotional blocks in your body (e.g., treating recurring neck/back tension or headaches as potential suppressed anxiety or anger that must be mindfully accepted and written about)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Intellectual
Overview for Intellectual
What is working, what is difficult, and what matters most in this area of your life right now?
What makes sense next for this area of your life? Choose a small step, keep something good going, or leave things as they are for now.
No factors match this filter.
Intellectual well-being measures how you exercise your rational faculties through Curiosity and Deep Learning. To determine your standing, consider the following factors:
Active Curiosity
Curiosity Through Questions
How strong is your desire to ask questions (who, what, where, why, when, how) to learn about yourself and the world?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Appreciative Inquiry
How consistently do you ask positive, strength-based questions (e.g., "What is working?" or "What are my strengths?") to cultivate a healthy, balanced perspective alongside problem-solving?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Openness to Experience
Willingness to Try New Things
How willing are you to step out of your comfort zone, try new things, and test out ideas in the real world?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Reflection-Action Balance
How well do you balance reflecting (curiosity) with acting (openness), avoiding both detachment from reflection without action and the blind rat race of action without reflection?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Beginner's Mind
How well do you practice a "beginner's mind" by drawing novel distinctions—actively looking for new, unfamiliar details in everyday things you already know well (e.g., noticing a new expression on your partner's face, or hearing a new note in your favorite song)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Fear of Failure vs. Risking Gamely
How willing are you to try and risk gamely even when failure is possible, treating mistakes and failure as essential data points for growth ("learning to fail, or failing to learn")?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Deep Learning (Quality over Quantity)
How consistently do you engage in slow, deep learning (reading a book deeply, playing an instrument, studying art, or closely observing nature) rather than superficial browsing, skimming, and constantly checking screens?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Cultivating Multiple Intelligences
How actively are you developing your dominant intelligences across Howard Gardner's nine categories (verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical-rhythmical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Introspective Self-Analysis
How deeply do you learn about yourself, including through structured, expressive journaling to explore peak experiences, process difficult emotions, or write about the benefits found in past hardships?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Single-Tasking and Simplification
How well do you simplify your life by single-tasking and saying "no" to secondary distractions, allowing yourself to fully immerse in one activity at a time?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Relational
Overview for Relational
What is working, what is difficult, and what matters most in this area of your life right now?
What makes sense next for this area of your life? Choose a small step, keep something good going, or leave things as they are for now.
No factors match this filter.
Relational well-being measures the quality of your Connections with Others, your Relationship with Yourself, and Kindness. To determine your standing, consider the following factors:
Quality Time
Uninterrupted Quality Time
How regularly do you spend uninterrupted, screen-free face-to-face time with the people who matter most to you?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Protecting Relationship Time
How well do your "in-use" priorities safeguard relationship blocks in your schedule from work and technology interruptions?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Relationship Positivity (The 5:1 Ratio)
How consistently do your relationships maintain John Gottman's golden ratio: at least five positive, supportive interactions (compliments, smiles, touches, loving messages) for every one negative interaction (criticism, conflict, or sigh)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
love Boosters / Relationship Boosters
How consistently do you use small, frequent, daily gestures of affection—sending an "I was thinking of you" text, practicing a 60-second hug before leaving, bringing home a favorite chocolate, or giving genuine, heartfelt compliments?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Active-Constructive Responding
When others share positive news, how consistently do you respond Active-Constructively by celebrating with them enthusiastically and asking questions to help them savor their win, rather than offering a flat, distracted, or critical response?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Being Known vs. Being Validated
How much are your relationships based on being known through your authentic self, complete with your vulnerabilities, flaws, and struggles, rather than putting on a perfect front to get approval?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Generosity and Kindness
Acts of Kindness
How consistently do you give back through acts of kindness (e.g., committing five or more extra acts of kindness a week)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Mindful Listening
How consistently do you set aside time (e.g., 10 minutes daily) to listen to another person with zero personal agenda other than simply being present for them?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Self-Love and Self-Esteem
How strong is your relationship with yourself, including authentic self-love and self-acceptance as foundations for your capacity to love others?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Selffulness (Sustainable Giving)
How well do your relationships stay "selfful"—balancing self-care with caring for others, placing other people's needs on the same level as your own without negating yourself or becoming a "doormat" for takers?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Differentiation (Intimacy of Equals)
In romantic relationships, how well can you remain emotionally connected to your partner while maintaining your separate sense of self, core values, and the capacity to regulate your own emotional anxiety?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Emotional
Overview for Emotional
What is working, what is difficult, and what matters most in this area of your life right now?
What makes sense next for this area of your life? Choose a small step, keep something good going, or leave things as they are for now.
No factors match this filter.
Emotional well-being is evaluated by how you deal with Painful Emotions and how you cultivate Pleasurable Ones. To determine your standing, consider the following factors:
Permission to Be Human (Active Acceptance)
Allowing Painful Emotions
How willing are you to fully feel painful emotions (anxiety, sadness, anger, envy) as natural parts of being alive, rather than suppressing or running away from them?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Active Acceptance
How well can you sit with a painful emotion without condemning yourself, recognizing that accepting it allows it to pass, while rejecting it intensifies the pain and numbs your ability to feel pleasure?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Worthiness of Happiness
How worthy do you feel of experiencing joy, love, and success, rather than holding yourself back due to guilt?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Emotion vs. Behavior Boundaries
How well do you separate feeling from acting, giving your feelings unconditional acceptance while keeping strict, moral boundaries on your behaviors?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Expressing Gratitude
How consistently do you practice gratitude (e.g., writing down five things you are grateful for daily or weekly) with heartfelt positivity—actually visualizing and feeling the warmth—rather than doing it mechanically?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Pleasure Boosters
How consistently do you plan and insert "pleasure boosters" into your routine—intentional, bite-size activities that immediately lift your mood (e.g., a comedy show, a walk in the park, a warm bath, or listening to your favorite music)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Cognitive Reframing (The ABCs of Psychology)
How well can you monitor your thoughts and dispute irrational self-talk using the ABC Model, including cross-examining your beliefs (asking "Is this realistic? What am I magnifying?") and reframing them to experience a healthier emotional outcome?
- Activating Event: What triggered the situation?
- Belief: What is your automatic, potentially distorted evaluation of the event?
- Consequence: What is the resulting emotion?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
The Emotional Barometer
How well do you use your emotional states as an informational barometer, noticing when "emotional disease" (boredom, sadness, chronic stress, or emptiness) may indicate a neglected ASPIRE element so you can take target-driven action?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.
Grounded Hope
How strong is your grounded hope, combining both willpower (the intrinsic motivation to pursue a goal) and waypower (your ability to break down goals into concrete, realistic pathways)?
What is happening in this part of your life? Explain what led to your score, including what is working and what is difficult.
What makes sense next? Choose one small, realistic step to improve this area or keep something good going, and say when or how you will do it. You can also choose to leave things as they are for now.