The desire audit
An inquiry practice for unearthing your subterranean desires
The desire audit is a Targeted Inquiry practice to help you unearth your desires, wants, needs, goals, and aspirations. It's great for coming up with a bunch of potential ways to enhance your emotional experience of work, business, and life.
Basic steps for inquiry sessions
- Review the instructions for Targeted Inquiry
- Choose either Freewriting or Freespeaking for your session
- Review the questions and prompts below
- Set a timer for 10-20 minutes
- Dump out everything that comes to mind in relation to the prompts. No stopping until the time's up.
- (Optional) Repeat the exercise with a prompt you haven't explored yet, and see if it takes you in new directions.
Important reminder: Just because an idea surfaces during an inquiry session, doesn't mean it's true, or that you have to believe it. You're invited to hold anything you discover here lightly, and with a wee bit of skepticism. Take what's useful and resonant, and discard the rest.
Prompts for the desire audit 👇
- I want...
- My highest priorities are...
- I'll be creatively fulfilled when...
- When I imagine my ideal future, I see...
- I'll enjoy my business when...
- If I could start my work life over again, I would...
- I've always wanted to...
- I've been hesitant to admit to myself that I want...
- If I had more courage, I would...
Personally, my favorite variation of the desire audit is to just use the "I want..." stem over and over until the time is up. Chances are, you'll run out of obvious answers pretty quickly, which'll make your brain sweat and take you to some unexpected places. Enjoy!
Possibilities to explore next
Are these desires and goals your own? Will following them result in a life well-lived, or will you regret expending energy on them? Try out The mimetic desire audit to explore further!
Member discussion