Discover how a scientifically proven process called “life crafting” can help you define your ideal future—then actually achieve it. From redefining personal values to setting meaningful goals, life crafting transforms passive desires into strategic life direction. Apps like Serenity now make this easy, structured, and actionable through goal personalization and accountability features.

What Is Life Crafting and How Does It Work?

Life crafting is a structured, evidence-based method developed by researchers to help individuals find life purpose and align their daily actions to personal goals. According to a 2019 paper in Frontiers in Psychology by Schippers & Ziegler, life crafting involves a step-by-step reflection and goal-setting process that increases personal meaning, motivation, and psychological well-being.¹

Core Parts of Life Crafting

• Values Clarification: Identifying what truly matters to you in life.
• Ideal Future Visioning: Writing a narrative about who you want to become.
• Goal Setting: Defining specific, measurable, and meaningful goals in areas like career, relationships, health, and personal growth.
• Action Planning: Creating implementation intentions such as “If X happens, I will do Y.”
• Accountability Structures: Using techniques or tools to follow through over time.

“When people engage in life crafting, they gain clarity and motivation anchored in their own values rather than superficial goals.” — Dr. Michaéla Schippers

How Can Life Crafting Help Me Unlock My Potential?

If you're wondering how life crafting helps unlock your full potential, the answer lies in the alignment of identity, motivation, and behavior.

According to the research:

• Life crafting increases intrinsic motivation by aligning your goals with your internal values.
• It improves focus and goal persistence by encouraging mental imagery and intention setting.
• It builds resilience and self-efficacy over time.

In summary, life crafting turns passive wishes into structured commitments—making you more likely to grow, pivot, and persist toward meaningful life directions.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Life Crafting App?

Apps like Serenity take the powerful life crafting framework and bring it into a user-friendly digital experience.

Benefits include:

• ✅ Personalized life vision and values alignment
• ✅ Step-by-step goal creation wizard
• ✅ Trackable daily habits that reflect meaningful aims
• ✅ Automated reminders to stay on course
• ✅ Reflection journals to enhance clarity and consistency

Moreover, Serenity uses behavioral nudging and AI-powered check-ins to gently move you from intention to action.

How Does a Life Crafting App Help with Goal Setting?

Unlike traditional to-do lists, life crafting apps like Serenity set goals based on a deep understanding of your personal values and desired future identity.

Here's how Serenity helps:

1. Guides you through reflective questions about your ideal life domains.
2. Helps you break down desires into SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals.
3. Builds “implementation intentions” turning vague hopes into real tactics (e.g., “If I feel tired after work, I will still go for a 15-minute walk”).

In essence, the app turns aspirational ideas into a systematic life map.

Can a Life Crafting App Create a Personalized Plan to Achieve My Goals?

Yes. If you're asking whether life crafting apps create personalized goal plans, the answer is absolutely. Serenity, for example:

• Learns from your goals and ideal life vision
• Creates tailored, modular action plans with daily and weekly steps
• Adjusts intensity based on your time, energy, and feedback
• Offers milestone tracking to boost motivation

This makes it dramatically easier to stick with a plan you believe in because the plan literally comes from you.

How Does Life Crafting Keep Me Accountable Over Time?

If you’re wondering how to stay accountable to your goals, life crafting apps use behavioral science to keep you aligned.

Examples of accountability features on Serenity:

• Daily check-in nudges
• Weekly reflections with progress comparison
• Reminders triggered during high-risk distraction moments
• Visual habit streak tracking and motivational quotes

Additionally, writing down why your goal matters in life improves follow-through significantly.²

Are There Proven Results from Using a Life Crafting Approach?

Yes—with significant data to back it. The 2019 paper by Schippers and Ziegler analyzed the impact of a life crafting intervention on university students.

📊 Key findings:

• Students who used life crafting showed significant improvements in goal clarity and self-regulation.
• The process led to greater life satisfaction, academic performance, and motivation over time.

In summary: The technique is not just empowering—it’s proven to produce tangible results in real-world settings.

How Is Life Crafting Different from Traditional Goal-Setting?

Most traditional goal-setting fails because:

• Goals are externally motivated (e.g., “get a promotion to please my parents”).
• They aren’t connected to identity.
• They lack contingency plans.

Life crafting is different:

• Values-first: begins with the WHY.
• Narrative-driven: incorporates future visioning exercises.
• Science-based: uses proven goal structures like mental contrasting and WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan).

How Can I Start Life Crafting Today Using a Mobile or Web App?

You can begin life crafting today in under 10 minutes using apps like Serenity.

Simple steps:

1. Download a life crafting-enabled app (Serenity is free to try).
2. Complete the values clarification prompts.
3. Write your ideal life story for next year.
4. Set 3 core goals aligned with that story.
5. Let the app generate your weekly action plans.

And you’re off.

Is There a Step-By-Step Process for Life Crafting in an App?

Yes. Most top-rated life crafting apps follow a structured framework. In Serenity, for example:

Step-by-Step Life Crafting Guide:

1. 📜 Define your life values.
2. 🔮 Write a narrative of your ideal future self.
3. 🎯 Break it into actionable, realistic goals.
4. 📆 Set implementation intentions.
5. 📈 Track, reflect, and adjust weekly.
6. 🙌 Celebrate milestones.

This scaffolding provides the structure missing from most attempts at personal development.

What Types of Goals Can I Set with a Life Crafting App?

You can target any domain of life that holds value to you:

The key is alignment—the app ensures your goals support your overall life vision.

Can Life Crafting Apps Help Overcome Procrastination or Lack of Focus?

Yes. If you struggle with motivation or focus, life crafting directly helps by:

• Reinforcing intrinsic motivation vs. external rewards
• Framing goals within a meaningful identity
• Giving you behavioral strategies when you hit resistance

For example, Serenity includes prompts like “What will stand in your way today and how will you handle it?”—training your subconscious to expect and overcome friction.

How Do I Know If Life Crafting Is Right for Me?

Ask yourself:

• Do I feel stuck or unmotivated even when I set goals?
• Do I want my life to reflect my deeper values?
• Am I ready to commit to a positive structure?

If the answer is yes, then life crafting can provide the clarity, tools, and accountability to craft the life you believe in.

Summary: Why You Should Start Life Crafting with Serenity Today

Life crafting helps transform vague intentions into identity-driven life plans. It’s a concept deeply rooted in psychological science, now made practical and personalized via technology. If you're serious about goals that matter—and want a framework to follow through—apps like Serenity can walk you through every step, from vision to implementation.

In short: Dream it. Craft it. Live it.

References

1. Schippers, M. C., & Ziegler, N. (2019). Life crafting as a way to find purpose and meaning in life. Frontiers in Psychology, 10:2778. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02778
2. Oettingen, G. & Gollwitzer, P. (2010). Implementation intentions and mental contrasting: The mechanisms of effective goal pursuit.

Author Bios

• Dr. Michaéla C. Schippers, Professor of Behaviour and Performance Management at Erasmus University. Expertise in life design, goal setting, and meaning-making.
• Dr. Niklas Ziegler, expert in psychological intervention methods. Focus on behavior change and sustainable life improvements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to achieve long-term goals?

Use a method like life crafting that connects goals to your identity and values. Apps like Serenity provide structure, tracking, and nudges that build consistency.

How do I stay accountable to my goals?

Use systems like Serenity that provide automated reminders, visual progress tracking, and reflective routines to enhance follow-through.

Can I use life crafting for both career and personal goals?

Yes. Life crafting works across domains—from personal health and relationships to work ambition and inner purpose.

Can a life crafting app replace a career coach?

While apps like Serenity don’t replace human coaches, they offer high-performing daily guidance that mimics the structure and focus of weekly coaching sessions.