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Scoring goal areas can be daunting! This year I am using Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets to help guide my annual goal setting. This goal setting system includes something called the Cultivated Life Evaluation (or CLE). The CLE is an assessment activity intended to help you determine how you’re doing in different areas of your life. After scoring goal areas, you can make decisions about which goals you might want to focus on.

Life Scoring Systems have Never Worked for Me
In the past I’ve always avoided these kinds of activities in goal setting systems. It never meant much to me because I was always unsure of what I was supposed to do with that information. What does a 7 mean? Is it good? Bad? I don’t know!!
I’ve also frustrated myself by getting stuck on exactly what the right number is. There are tons of variables and infinite possibilities!
I’ve always had the mindset that if it’s great then it’s a 10 and if it’s not great, it must be a 0. And since nothing is ever perfectly great, then all of my areas are big fat ZEROES. Which did nothing but make me feel bad. If everything is a zero, I’ll never get where I want to be! I still struggle with the idea that there’s always room for improvement…which is another post for another day!
Keep an Open Mind Scoring Life Areas
This year when filling out my PowerSheets prep work, I made the choice to remove the limiting mindset about scoring my areas. Sidenote: it is a choice. Choosing to have a positive or negative outlook on something is a choice you can make. Flip the script, friend!
Anyhow, that voice that was telling me “these kinds of activities don’t work for me” and “every area is a 0 because it all needs improvement.” This year, I told that voice to be quiet.
Where does this Voice Come From?
Reflecting on where that critical voice originated, I realized it’s a chorus of people, well-intentioned or not, who’ve influenced my self-perception. It’s time to silence that voice and break free from playing it safe.

How does the Goal Area Scoring System Work?
Ever been to the doctor and had to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10? Life evaluations are a bit like that – subjective and personal. It’s not about right or wrong; it’s about how you feel. The goal is to understand your current situation and circumstances, not to fit into someone else’s rating system.
How to Score Categories on Goal Setting Assessments:
Now, when it comes to scoring goal areas, I’ve got an easy 5-step plan for you.
- Change your mindset (put on your positive pants, even if you have to pretend)
- Start with the easiest. Don’t overcomplicate it. Journal about the rest.
- Set a baseline at 5 (instead of zero). If 5 is average, it’s not as daunting to choose. Then even if you don’t have any thoughts as to why the area should score higher or lower, then you are at a 5 instead of a 0 (or 1).
- Then, work through each area, highlighting positive and negative thoughts in your journaling (use your fun highlighters!)
- Commit to the score – it’s a step toward clarity. Just circle it (or fill it in). There’s no right or wrong answer!
What to Do After Completing the Life Area Goal Assessment
Now that you have your goal areas scored, what are you supposed to do with that information? This is actually the easiest part! Now that you have scores, you have a path forward to achieving your goals. You don’t have to overanalyze and overthink or worry about if you’re making the right choice. Simply choose a couple of areas with the lowest numerical scores to place your focus for this quarter.
Also choose one area with a higher score to place your focus. This is for the confidence boost. You already feel great about this area, so there will be less friction in the habits and tasks associated with it. Completing these action items starts the positive reinforcement ball rolling and encourages you to keep going.
How do you feel about life area goal assessments? Do you find that scoring your goal areas is helpful?
