Reframing achievement around living intentionally

How often do you update your resume? No, not your professional resume listing out responsibilities you’ve held at different jobs. Your life resume. 

I initially had the idea for this blog after sharing my “race resume” with an inquiring friend. What kind of athletic races had I done? What was the progression, where the events were located, and what did I think of my experiences? But then the idea began to expand. I hope a variety of people with a variety of backgrounds see this blog and my website. While it’s fitness focused, what underlies it all is empowering others to live full, healthy lives. And here we are now, with a blog about how to create your own life resume.

A life resume is constructed however you’d like. Maybe it’s your proudest accomplishments, across all facets of your life. You may capture moments of the purest joy you’ve ever experienced. For you, a mix of both of these could be the best fit.

To me, a life resume reframes achievement around living intentionally, not just professionally.

I chose a path. I tried something new. I got on a plane. I stepped out of my comfort zone. There are endless catalysts to create moments that move you through life, all driven by YOU and your decisions. 

Below are four considerations for how you could compile your own life resume, and how you can think about building it in the future. Make some time, set the vibe, and put together a powerful reflection of your life thus far.

Intentional Living

Living intentionally means you deliberately choose how you spend your time and are present in each moment. Curate your experiences with purpose. Every “entry” in your life resume should reflect what matters to you, not what looks impressive to others. Consider collecting moments that shape you. Think about times of courage, of growth, of curiosity that have made you who you are. Moving forward, you may lean into filling your life with experiences, not things.

Breadth of Experience

We are all so much more than what we do for work. Diversify what your life resume covers! Include experiences in relationships, learning, creativity, travel, volunteering, and play — not only career or education. Think about times when you were curious and explored something new – curiosity can be a powerful compass. Keep in mind that your life resume isn’t about comparison like a professional resume. It’s a reflection of alignment between your actions and your values. And if you haven’t checked in with yourself on your values in a while, this is a great time to do that too!

Balance and Evolution

In case you haven’t kept tabs on all the things you could include in your life resume, focus on the big things that come to mind and know that more reflection may bring up more memories. As you continue to maintain a life resume, you’ll likely see it evolve as you do. What once felt important may not anymore — that’s growth, not inconsistency. Celebrate small wins alongside the big ones – consistency and intention count in your life resume. And when it comes to balance, build what you want to have in your life. Everyday won’t have balance (that’s just not how life works) but broadly, you can create the space for rest, relationships, and joy alongside ambition.

Reflection and Awareness

Once you’ve created your life resume, don’t forget to periodically check in and update it! You can also assess if your life is continuing to align with what you value most. Have your values changed? Have gaps developed between what you’d like to do and what you’ve actually done? Do you feel aligned? As you look to add items to your life resume, lean into asking yourself powerful questions. What am I proud of? What would I regret not trying? What am I learning right now?

You can leverage everything you’ve learned about yourself in this reflection to think about how you’d like to move forward. Maybe you set plans, maybe you spend time day dreaming. Maybe you just need to get inspired before you can plot what’s next. There’s no pressure, only how you feel about how you’re spending your time. 

Happy self-exploration and cheers to living a full, happy, and healthy life!!