How to Audit Your Life for Monumental Growth – A Journey Toward Your Higher Self

In the latest episode of inhabit, Alessia Citro invites listeners on a compelling journey of self-audit, a step often overlooked in the quest for personal development. Unlike the daunting task auditing might imply, this episode redefines it as an exciting exploration of self that paves the way for substantial growth and fulfillment. Here’s a glimpse into the profound insights and transformative advice Alessia shares, making this a must-listen for anyone on a path to self-improvement.

Unlocking Your Higher Self Through Auditing

The Power of Self-Auditing: Alessia demystifies the concept of auditing in the realm of personal development. Far from the bureaucratic ordeal associated with the term, she illustrates auditing as a liberating and insightful process essential for unlocking one’s higher self. By examining various facets of life through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Alessia sets the stage for profound self-discovery and growth.

A Framework for Fulfillment: Central to the episode is the Higher Self Habits method, a five-stage framework designed to guide individuals toward their fullest potential. Alessia delves into the importance of each stage — awareness, alignment, audit, activation, and amplify — emphasizing the audit phase as a critical point where momentum gathers, and real change begins.

Highlights & Reasons to Listen

1. Understanding Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Alessia offers a refreshing take on Maslow’s pyramid, breaking down its layers from basic survival needs to self-actualization. This comprehensive overview serves as a practical guide for listeners to evaluate their own lives and identify areas for improvement.
2. Reflective Questions for Personal Audit: The episode shines with a series of thought-provoking questions designed to help listeners audit their own lives. These questions span across all levels of Maslow’s hierarchy, encouraging a holistic examination of one’s current state and paving the way for targeted personal development efforts.
3. Practical Advice for Real-Life Application: Beyond theoretical insights, Alessia provides listeners with actionable advice on how to apply the concepts discussed to their daily lives. From ensuring basic needs are met to fostering self-esteem and pursuing self-actualization, the episode is packed with valuable strategies for personal growth.
4. Preview of Next Steps in the Journey: The episode concludes with a teaser for the next step in the journey — activation. Alessia promises to delve into behavior design, offering listeners tools and techniques to effectively implement the insights gained from their audit into tangible actions toward becoming their best selves.

Transformative Insights for Everyone

This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone feeling stuck or seeking to elevate their life to the next level. Through a combination of theoretical frameworks, practical advice, and compassionate guidance, Alessia Citro provides listeners with the tools needed to embark on a journey of self-audit and discovery.

Whether you’re a longtime follower of personal development practices or just beginning your journey, this episode offers a unique perspective on growth and self-improvement. By focusing on the foundational aspects of our lives and how they align with our goals and dreams, Alessia sets the stage for listeners to make meaningful, lasting changes.

Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your approach to personal development and step into your higher self. Tune in to this episode of “Inhabit with Alessia Citro” and start the rewarding journey of auditing your life today.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, below.

Prefer to Read Rather Than Listen? Here’s a transcript of the episode.

Higher Self Habits Part 3: Auditing Your Way to Personal Growth

Hello, friends, and welcome to part 3 of the Higher Self Habits series. This week is all about auditing. Now, I know the word “audit” might conjure images of the Internal Revenue Service or make you think you’d rather get a root canal than do anything related to auditing. However, I’m here to tell you that this is actually my favorite part of the process, where things really start to gain momentum. It’s a low-calorie, easy way to zoom out and look at your life holistically. If you feel like you’re stuck and in your own way, this episode might be exactly what you need. Welcome to “Inhabit with Alessia Citro,” a show dedicated to helping you expand your life and inhabit your dreams. After becoming a corporate dropout and faltering, I realized that the only thing keeping me from my big vision was not taking the small, consistent actions that compound and move the needle. Together, we’ll uncover and discuss the ways we stay stuck and how you can unlock your potential.

Alright, my friends. This week, we’re talking all about auditing. Like I said in the intro, it’s way more fun and liberating than it sounds. What we do in this stage of the Higher Self Habits method, a framework with 5 stages, is crucial. We’ve already discussed the first two stages: awareness and alignment. This week is audit. Next week is activation, and the following week, we wrap it all up with amplify. It’s when you ascend into this higher version of yourself, create more of an impact, radiate in the world, and then the process starts over at a new, higher level.

I love the auditing part of the process because it’s rare in our fast-paced, busy lives that we take a moment to slow down and evaluate what is working and what is not. I was first introduced to the concept of start, stop, continue by my husband. This was something he was doing at work for a quarterly review. Simply put, what are the things you need to stop doing, start doing, and continue doing? We’re going to zoom out and apply this to our life in the context of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If this is the first time you’re hearing about it, I’ll give you a simple overview, and then we’ll look at how you can apply this to your life right now.

Imagine Maslow’s hierarchy as a pyramid with 5 layers. The bottom of the pyramid, the base, is the widest, representing foundational needs. The lower on the pyramid, the more integral fulfilling these needs is for you to ascend to higher levels. Here they are in order: at the bottom, you have basic survival needs like warmth, shelter, food, water, and clothing appropriate for the climate you live in. These basic needs must be met for us to survive and climb up to the next levels.

After basic survival needs, you have safety and security needs. This includes living in a safe environment and having financial stability. If you’re living hand-to-mouth, you can’t worry about ascending to your higher self; you need to focus on where your next meal is coming from or how you’re going to pay your bills. If these two bottom layers aren’t met, it’s going to be really hard for you to continue climbing up.

The third layer is belonging and love needs. We are social creatures, whether extroverted or introverted, and must have these needs met to thrive. This looks at what’s going on at home, whether you have a family that supports you, friends you can count on, a community you’re involved with, and neighbors you feel supported by. Feeling a sense of belonging is critical, or we cannot live the lives we were meant to live.

The fourth level is self-esteem needs, like recognition, respect, self-confidence, and the ability to solve problems. Feeling good about yourself, essentially, is what self-esteem means boiled down to.

The fifth and final level is self-actualization. This is when you are in your full potential, going after the big vision, stepping into the version of you that you were created to become. That’s the whole premise of Higher Self Habits.

But you can’t achieve this if you are not getting enough sleep, properly fueling your body, living in safe conditions, lacking community, or not respecting yourself. So I’ll take you through a series of questions. Just think to yourself after each question if you could check that box of “yes” or “no.”

We’ll start with basic needs: Do you have shelter? Are you able to access clean and safe drinking water easily? Are you adequately hydrated? Are you eating enough each day, and are you eating food that gives you energy or depletes your energy? How about sleep? Do you have the clothing necessary for the climate you live in? And do you have access to basic health care and medical services?

Next, let’s look at safety and stability needs: Is your home safe? Is your neighborhood safe? Do you have a baseline of financial stability? Are you healthy, or is your physical and/or mental health a concern? Is your life feeling stable in general? Do you have a functional relationship, a stable job, satisfaction with your living situation, a reliable mode of transportation, and are you prepared for emergencies?

Moving on to emotional and belonging needs: Do you have a friend you can count on and trust? Are you part of a social or community group? If you are in a romantic relationship, is it fulfilling, supportive, and healthy? Do you have family you can count on and love? Do you feel part of your work team? Are you emotionally supported by your friends and loved ones? Are you involved in hobbies or activities that bring you joy? Can you express your emotions freely and honestly in your relationships?

Next, self-esteem needs: Do others respect you? Do you respect yourself? Are you recognized for your contributions and accomplishments? Do you feel capable? Do you have the freedom and independence to live the way you wish? Are you setting and achieving personal goals? Are you maintaining a balance in your life that you feel good about? Do you feel confident in your ability to make decisions and navigate life’s challenges?

And finally, self-actualization: Are you actively pursuing your passions and interests? Do you have opportunities for learning and personal development? Are you engaged in activities that challenge and inspire you? Do you have a sense of purpose and direction in your life? Are you making a positive impact on others or your community? Do you feel like you’re living your best life?

As you can see, auditing your life based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can provide a clear roadmap for personal growth. By addressing each layer of the pyramid, from basic needs to self-actualization, you can build a solid foundation for becoming the best version of yourself. This process isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. It’s about recognizing where you are, understanding where you want to go, and taking the small, consistent steps to get there.

Next week, we’ll dive into activation, where we discuss putting this audit into action. We’ll explore behavior design and how to navigate towards your higher self through intentional actions and habits. Remember, it’s not about overhauling your life overnight but about making incremental changes that lead to substantial growth over time.

Thank you for joining me on this journey of self-discovery and growth. I hope this episode has inspired you to audit your life and take those steps toward inhabiting your dreams. See you next week as we continue to unlock our potential together.