Discover how the science-backed process of life crafting can help you find purpose, set transformative goals, and build a meaningful life through strategic self-reflection, value alignment, and goal pursuit—with the help of tools like the Serenity life crafting app.
Life crafting is a science-based framework that helps individuals design a purposeful and fulfilling life by aligning goals with personal values and envisioning ideal future selves. It combines psychological strategies like expressive writing, goal setting, and visualization to promote deep self-reflection, boost motivation, and improve decision-making. With the help of life crafting tools like the Serenity app, users can build structured, personalized plans that turn their vision into action.
What Is Life Crafting and How Does It Work?
Life crafting is a systematic process rooted in positive psychology that helps individuals:
- Clarify core values and passions
- Envision an ideal future life
- Set concrete, value-aligned goals
- Develop implementation intentions
- Track progress and adapt plans over time
The approach is backed by scientific evidence published in peer-reviewed journals. According to Schippers & Ziegler in their 2019 study (PMC6923189), life crafting interventions significantly improved well-being, goal clarity, and academic performance among university students.
“Life crafting promotes self-reflection, coherence, and emotional alignment—key elements for building a life filled with meaning and purpose.” — Dr. Michaéla Schippers, Professor of Behavior and Performance Management
How Can I Use Life Crafting to Design a Meaningful Life?
You can use life crafting to make intentional life choices in alignment with your values. Here’s how:
- Reflect deeply on your core values, passions, and interests.
- Envision your ideal life several years from now.
- Set meaningful goals that align with your vision.
- Create a strategic action plan using tools like Serenity.
- Track progress, adjust regularly, and build new habits.
Life crafting creates a feedback loop of purpose, action, and achievement—building a stronger sense of identity and personal agency over time.
Main Components of Life Crafting
The complete life crafting process, outlined by Schippers & Ziegler (2019), includes the following elements:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Value Reflection | Identifying what truly matters to you |
| Ideal Future Visualization | Writing or imagining a vivid picture of desired future |
| Goal Setting | Defining specific, actionable, and meaningful goals |
| Implementation Intentions | Creating “if-then” plans that improve goal follow-through |
| Commitment and Accountability | Using external structures (like the Serenity app) to reinforce engagement |
| Progress Review | Reflecting on progress, obstacles, and course correction |
Setting Goals Using a Life Crafting App
If you're wondering how to use a life crafting app to set effective and meaningful goals, it's all about structured guidance and behavioral design.
The Serenity app, for instance, helps you:
- Identify and prioritize values
- Break life areas into categories (career, health, relationships, personal development)
- Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals
- Use built-in prompts and AI coaching to refine goal clarity
- Develop action steps and build motivation through reminders and feedback
“Expressive writing combined with goal-setting has repeatedly shown positive effects on well-being and goal achievement.” — Schippers et al., 2019
Can a Life Crafting App Help Me Find My Purpose or Passion?
Yes. Life crafting apps like Serenity are specifically designed to help you:
- Reflect on what brings meaning, joy, and energy
- Explore different life domains (career, health, creativity, etc.)
- Reconnect with your ideal self and long-term vision
- Clarify purpose through journaling and coaching prompts
By structuring your self-reflection and linking it to tangible goals, a life crafting app becomes a tool for uncovering what truly moves you.
What Types of Goals Can I Set with a Life Crafting App?
You can use a life crafting tool to design goals across almost every domain of life:
- ✅ Personal: build confidence, develop habits, cultivate happiness
- 💼 Career: transition roles, become a leader, launch a business
- 🧠 Mental Health: reduce stress, manage anxiety, practice gratitude
- 🏋️ Physical Health: improve fitness, eat healthier, sleep better
- 💖 Relationships: build stronger partnerships, expand social circles
- 🎨 Creative Pursuits: start a blog, write a book, pursue an art
With Serenity, users can tag and group goals, view goal maps, and adjust timelines as needed.
How Does the App Help Create a Step-by-Step Action Plan?
Serenity uses a guided funnel approach to generate actionable planning:
- Define a goal clearly (from predefined prompts or custom).
- Break it down into mini milestones and weekly tasks.
- Assign deadlines and link actions with motivation strategies.
- Use daily prompts, nudges, and atomic habit stacking.
In summary, Serenity turns goals into executable weekly sprints, making even large ambitions feel manageable.
Personalized Guidance and Support in Life Crafting Apps
Does the app provide templates or personalized guidance? Yes.
Serenity offers:
- Templates for vision crafting, habit tracking, and wellness goals
- Adaptive goal planning based on your entries and progress
- Chat-based coaching powered by behavioral science algorithms
- Check-in reminders and real-time accountability tools
Whether you're crafting a long-term ten-year career plan or focusing on short-term habits, Serenity meets you where you are.
Staying Motivated and Committed to Your Goals
If you’re wondering how to stay accountable to your goals, a great strategy is to use external supports.
Serenity acts like a chat-based accountability partner, providing:
- Daily check-ins
- Motivational nudges
- Visual goal trackers
- Positive reinforcement rewards
According to research, writing down goals and tracking them increases accomplishment probability by 33%.
Goal Tracking and Progress Reflection
Serenity includes:
- Visual dashboards of all goals and sub-tasks
- Reflection logs and gratitude journaling
- Streak tracking for habits
- Auto-adjustment of pacing if you're falling behind
This creates a closed-loop system of monitoring, adapting, and reinforcing progress.
Long-Term Life Planning vs. Short-Term Goals
Is this process only for short-term goals?
No. Life crafting is ideal for long-term thinking.
- Build multi-year plans and adapt them over quarters
- Balance visionary goals with 3-week habit loops
- Use reflection sections every 3–6 months to pivot effectively
Serenity integrates both life design and short-term action cycles.
How Is Life Crafting Different from Regular Goal Setting?
Traditional goal setting often overlooks the deeper why behind ambitions.
Life crafting differs by:
- Anchoring goals in personal values and meaning
- Using visualization and future-self thinking
- Focusing on psychological coherence and sustained engagement
- Applying science-based techniques like implementation intentions
This deeper alignment creates intrinsic motivation and long-term follow-through.
Success Stories from Life Crafting
Life crafting interventions have shown significant success:
- At Erasmus University, students engaging in life crafting improved academic results and purpose clarity (Schippers et al.).
- Users of Serenity report “feeling more in control,” “less distracted,” and “more energized” after just 21 days of goal-focused planning.
How Often Should I Revisit Life Crafting Plans?
Best practice: check-in every week for tasks, and every 1 to 3 months for strategic realignment.
Serenity prompts users with:
- Weekly goal check-ins
- Monthly pulse reflections
- Quarterly life-design reviews
This ensures your goals grow as you do.
Does Life Crafting Improve Mental Clarity and Reduce Stress?
Yes. Expressive writing and future-thinking have been shown to:
- Improve decision-making clarity
- Reduce cognitive overload
- Lower anxiety related to uncertainty
A structured life crafting system reduces the chaos of “too many options” by aligning choices to values and goals.
Is Life Crafting Backed by Science?
Absolutely. According to the article “Life Crafting as a Way to Find Purpose and Meaning in Life” (Schippers & Ziegler, 2019):
- Life crafting improves well-being, motivation, and academic performance
- Supported by research in positive psychology and behavior change
- Used in educational, organizational, and personal development settings
FAQ
What’s the best way to achieve long-term goals?
Start with your values, create a vivid vision of your future self, and write clear, actionable goals. Use a tool like Serenity to help structure your plan and provide consistent accountability.
Can Serenity help if I don’t know my purpose?
Yes. Serenity guides you through introspective exercises and writing prompts to clarify your passions, values, and ideal life.
How often should I revise my life crafting plan?
Reassess your plan monthly or quarterly. Serenity reminds you to reflect regularly and adjust your goals based on lived experience.
Is life crafting the same as journaling?
They overlap, but life crafting uses structured prompts for goal alignment and action planning, while free journaling tends to be more reflective.
References
- Schippers, M.C., & Ziegler, N. (2019). Life Crafting as a Way to Find Purpose and Meaning in Life. Frontiers in Psychology, PMC6923189
- Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation. American Psychologist.
- Pennebaker, J. W., & Chung, C. K. (2007). Expressive Writing and Its Links to Mental and Physical Health.
Author Bios
Dr. Michaéla Schippers – Professor of Behavior and Performance Management at Erasmus University Rotterdam. PhD in Psychology, international expert on goal-setting behavior, purpose, and well-being.
Niko Ziegler, MSc – Behavioral scientist specializing in applied positive psychology and personal development interventions.
Serenity Team – Developers of the Serenity life design app, integrating evidence-based behavioral change science to help you set and achieve your most meaningful goals.