diff --git a/make_config_dirs b/make_config_dirs
index 6500f5a..1b63694 100755
--- a/make_config_dirs
+++ b/make_config_dirs
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 #!/bin/zsh
 
-[[ ! -d $HOME/.config ]] && mkdir $HOME/.config
+# source file where vars are defined
+source ./src_files/.config/zsh/.zshenv
 
-[[ ! -d $HOME/.local ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local
-[[ ! -d $HOME/.local/bin ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/bin
-[[ ! -d $HOME/.local/build ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/build
-[[ ! -d $HOME/.local/scripts ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/scripts
-[[ ! -d $HOME/.local/tmp ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/tmp
+# any dirs made here should be defined in the file sourced above
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_LOCAL" ]] && mkdir "$DIR_LOCAL"
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_BIN" ]] && mkdir "$DIR_BIN"
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_BUILD" ]] && mkdir "$DIR_BUILD"
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_SCRIPTS" ]] && mkdir "$DIR_SCRIPTS"
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_TMP" ]] && mkdir "$DIR_TMP"
+
+[[ ! -d "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" ]] && mkdir "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"
+[[ ! -d "$XDG_CACHE_HOME" ]] && mkdir "$XDG_CACHE_HOME"
+[[ ! -d "$XDG_DATA_HOME" ]] && mkdir "$XDG_DATA_HOME"
+[[ ! -d "$XDG_STATE_HOME" ]] && mkdir "$XDG_STATE_HOME"
diff --git a/make_org_structure_dirs b/make_org_structure_dirs
index 5efbf7b..9cad170 100755
--- a/make_org_structure_dirs
+++ b/make_org_structure_dirs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/zsh
 
-[[ ! -d "$HOME_BOX" ]] && mkdir $HOME_BOX
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_HOME_BOX" ]] && mkdir $DIR_HOME_BOX
 
 [[ ! -d "$DIR_DEV" ]] && mkdir $DIR_DEV
 [[ ! -d "$DIR_DEV/git" ]] && mkdir $DIR_DEV/git
diff --git a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-job-rs b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-job-rs
index 25b5c23..6277cd3 100644
--- a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-job-rs
+++ b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-job-rs
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ alias git-push-to-develop='git branch -D develop; git checkout -b develop; git p
 alias gpdev='git-push-to-develop'
 
 # misc shortcuts
-alias journal="cd $HOME_BOX; $EDITOR .current-journal"
-alias kra="cd $HOME_BOX/process/kra; open .current_kra"
+alias journal="cd $DIR_HOME_BOX; $EDITOR .current-journal"
+alias kra="cd $DIR_HOME_BOX/process/kra; open .current_kra"
 alias gll="cd $DIR_DEV/git/lampo/gitlab"
 alias bet='bundle exec rspec'
 alias bel='bundle exec standardrb'
diff --git a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-life-system b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-life-system
index 52782ff..cb40038 100644
--- a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-life-system
+++ b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zsh-life-system
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # life system shortcuts
-alias life-system="cd $HOME_BOX/life/system; clear; ls"
-alias goals="clear; sed -n 2,7p $HOME_BOX/life/system/direction/goals/current-goals.txt"
-alias note="cd $HOME_BOX/life/system/tasks/inbox; $EDITOR"
-alias todo="cd $HOME_BOX/life/system/tasks; $EDITOR +5 todo.txt"
-alias budget="open $HOME_BOX/life/finance/budget/.current"
+alias life-system="cd $DIR_HOME_BOX/life/system; clear; ls"
+alias goals="clear; sed -n 2,7p $DIR_HOME_BOX/life/system/direction/goals/current-goals.txt"
+alias note="cd $DIR_HOME_BOX/life/system/tasks/inbox; $EDITOR"
+alias todo="cd $DIR_HOME_BOX/life/system/tasks; $EDITOR +5 todo.txt"
+alias budget="open $DIR_HOME_BOX/life/finance/budget/.current"
 
diff --git a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshenv b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshenv
index db4e5bc..0c5901f 100644
--- a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshenv
+++ b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshenv
@@ -1,19 +1,31 @@
-# common/system env vars
+# default programs
 export EDITOR='vim' # TODO: update to nvim once configured
 
 # env vars used for my organization structure
-export HOME_BOX="$HOME/dbox"
+export DIR_HOME_BOX="$HOME/dbox"
 export DIR_DEV="$HOME/dev"
 
-# general targets for config/builds/etc
-export DIR_CONFIG="$HOME/.config"
-export XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$DIR_CONFIG
+# util dirs; do not change without checking impact on xdg base dirs
 export DIR_LOCAL="$HOME/.local"
+export DIR_BIN="$DIR_LOCAL/bin"
 export DIR_BUILD="$DIR_LOCAL/build"
+export DIR_SCRIPTS="$DIR_LOCAL/scripts"
+export DIR_TMP="$DIR_LOCAL/tmp"
+
+# xdg base directory vars
+export XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$HOME/.config"
+export XDG_CACHE_HOME="$HOME/.cache"
+export XDG_DATA_HOME="$DIR_LOCAL/share"
+export XDG_STATE_HOME="$DIR_LOCAL/state"
+export XDG_DATA_DIRS="/usr/local/share:/usr/share"
+#export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="/etc/xdg" # TODO: does this work on macos?
 
 # zsh
-export ZDOTDIR="$DIR_CONFIG/zsh" # may already be set, set anyway
+export ZDOTDIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/zsh" # may already be set, set anyway
 
 # git
 export GIT_EDITOR="$EDITOR"
 
+# clean-up of home dir
+export __CF_USER_TEXT_ENCODING="0x0:0x0"
+
diff --git a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc
index 5f5abf9..499be87 100644
--- a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc
+++ b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 set -o vi
 
 # path updates
-export PATH=$DIR_LOCAL/bin:$DIR_LOCAL/scripts:$PATH
+export PATH=$DIR_BIN:$DIR_SCRIPTS:$PATH
 export PATH=$PATH:/opt/homebrew/opt/ccache/libexec
 export PATH=$PATH:~/bin/android-sdk-darwin/platform-tools:/opt/homebrew/opt/ccache/libexec
 
diff --git a/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate b/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate
index 4d6a79b..6a4a5b0 100644
--- a/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate
+++ b/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 local omitted_dirs=(
     $HOME
-    $HOME_BOX
+    $DIR_HOME_BOX
     $DIR_DEV
     $DIR_DEV/git
 )
diff --git a/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer b/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer
index 3ce9b0c..c350365 100755
--- a/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer
+++ b/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ hydrate() {
 local name_regex="^\([-_A-Za-z0-9]*\):.*$"
 local existing_sessions=$([[ -n $(pgrep tmux) ]] && tmux list-sessions | sed "s/$name_regex/\1/" || echo '')
 local search_dirs=(
-    $HOME_BOX
+    $DIR_HOME_BOX
     $DIR_DEV
     $DIR_DEV/git/*
 )