How to Check Your Life Accounts and Refill What’s Running on Empty

Life can feel like a juggling act. Work deadlines, family responsibilities, errands, endless messages, and the little “urgent” tasks that pop up every hour can pile up faster than anyone can manage. From the outside, everything might look accomplished, impressive, or even enviable. On the inside, though, energy can be dangerously low. Relying on caffeine, sheer willpower, and occasional bursts of panic becomes the norm. Which is why I love cutting through the chaos by working with your life accounts.

Many people pour themselves into everyone and everything else. And leave nothing for themselves. They promise to slow down later, after the busy season ends, or when the “perfect moment” comes. But running on empty too long has a sneaky side effect: it can make someone almost invisible in their own life. Often, the realization comes when someone asks, “How are you?” and the only answer available is, “Surviving, mostly.”

The good news is simple: by seeing the areas of your life  as “life accounts” can help you power through. It helps you set priorities, refill what’s empty, and even put some areas of life on “hold” for later.  Think of it as a mini audit for your energy, clarity, and well-being. No spreadsheets, calculators, or guilt required. This process is about noticing where energy is flowing and where it deserves a little extra attention.

Step 1: Name Life Accounts

The first step is to identify the main areas that make up daily life. These are the “life accounts.” It can be esoteric or based on the roles you fulfill in life.  Examples might include health, relationships, work, self-care, creativity, or spiritual life. The list can also include anything that matters most at the moment. Perhaps it’s Mom, Wife, Sister, and Daughter. Or maybe you see your life in more structured ways like Work Life, Romantic Life, and Spiritual Life.

Grab a notebook, a scrap of paper, or even the back of an envelope and write down five to seven accounts that describe your life in the present. The goal is honesty, not perfection. If you’re feeling creative, you can be playful like “Life of a Stay At Home Mom” and “Zen Seeking Spiritual Being.” (As an ESTJ, I go for more straightforward descriptions 😉 )

Even quick scribbles, funny notes, or reminders of neglected areas are valuable. Life accounts are tools for awareness, not judgment. They highlight where energy may need to be restored and help prioritize attention where it matters most.

Step 2: Check the Balances

Once the accounts are listed, it’s time to check how each one is doing. Ask simple questions:

• • Which accounts feel full, alive, and thriving?
  • Which are okay but could use a little extra care?
  • Which accounts are nearly empty and waving a small white flag?

This step is not about shame or judgment. It’s about clarity. Seeing where energy is low is the first step toward restoring balance. Think of it like noticing a messy closet. Once the clutter is visible, it can be addressed.

For instance, a person might notice that their work or social accounts are brimming, but their self-care account is nearly empty. Acknowledging this gap is the beginning of restoration. Even imagining a sticky note on that empty account that says, “Hey, remember me,” can spark a small but important shift in attention.

Step 3: Set Your Priorities

After identifying the balances on your life accounts, the next step is to decide what really matters RIGHT NOW. This is about recognizing that sometimes, being a mom needs to take priority over our career. Or that making your spiritual life may lead to spending less time being social.

Though it can be hard to get your mind around not giving every part of your life 100% all the time, the truth of the matter is that life doesn’t work that way. Some seasons are more akin to growing your career. And other seasons are about stretching your mind and soul. So, now is the time to decide what two or three life accounts need your attention right now. And what areas of your life can be put on the back burner.

This isn’t forever. This is simply for right now. Perhaps until the end of this year. Or maybe until next August. The key is that you are giving yourself permission to not be everything to everyone at the same time. By setting priorities based on life accounts, you are still seeing the big picture of life. Just choosing to focus one one part of the picture.

I’ve also learned that by focusing on what’s really important? This allows other areas of your life to follow along as if they’re all part of a dance. And it also allows you to let go of old versions of yourself that no longer serve you.

Step 4: Refill What Matters

Now that you’ve identified your accounts, checked your balances, and have decided what matters right now, the next step is to refill them. Focus on two or three accounts that need care in this moment. It’s not about fixing everything at once or overhauling life overnight. Small, consistent actions add up like compound interest for personal energy.

Ideas for refilling life accounts include:

• • Taking a real lunch break instead of working through meals. Treat it like a secret mission to protect your well-being.
  • Saying no to one extra commitment this week. Picture your “no” standing proud like a tiny superhero.
  • Putting the phone away for an hour and simply breathing, even if notifications flash like a mini disco.
  • Taking a short dance break, stretching, or moving in a way that makes you laugh. There is nothing wrong with shimmying in the kitchen for five minutes.
  • Sitting quietly, doing nothing, or staring at the wall. Sometimes stillness is exactly what the self-care account needs.

Focusing on these small but meaningful actions can restore clarity, calm, and connection to yourself. Pets, children, or partners may give confused or judgmental looks, but that is secondary to the importance of investing in personal energy.

Imagine life accounts like plants that need occasional watering. Neglected accounts perk up quickly when attention is given. The same happens to people when they refill their essential accounts.

Quick Journal Exercise to Explore Your Life Accounts

Grab your journal. Set aside fifteen minutes and try this:

• • Name life accounts.
  • Check their balances.
  • Select one or two life accounts to make a priority.
  • Designate what life accounts can be put in stasis.
  • Select one to three life accounts to refill.

This exercise is simple but powerful. It allows people to notice where attention has been lacking and take deliberate steps to restore energy. It is not about adding more obligations, but about making sure what is already present in life is meaningful, nourishing, and sustainable.

Best of all, this is a process that can be repeated time and again.

When you check the balances of your life accounts on a regular basis, you can pivot to what matters now. Ensure your needs are being met. And help you ensure that life is serving you rather than just taking you along for the ride.

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