Are you living the life you always dreamed of? Or have you lost sight of what you want because you haven’t thought about it in a very long time? It’s too easy to get caught up in our everyday routine doing all “the to-do’s” that many of us forget to stop and reflect on where we are, how we feel and whether we are living life on our own terms.
Like most people, you’re probably juggling work, school, friends, family, PTA meetings, dance lessons, hockey practice, birthday parties and let’s not forget your romantic life; all while trying to find some sense of normalcy in what I would call the most abnormal year of all! Today with a computer in our pocket and everything that we want literally at our fingertips – just one Amazon click away- it’s easy to be disconnected from our inner-self. It can be incredibly challenging to think clearly, let alone focus on yourself and your voice. What if you did though? What if you were to hit the pause button for a moment, turn off the noise from the outside world (yes that includes Email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok), take a few deep inhales-exhales and be still just long enough to ask this question.
What Do I Want In Life? 
That’s a SUPERSIZE question isn’t it? It’s also the first critical step in creating the life you desire. Seriously, when was the last time you reflected on how you want to live your life? If it’s been awhile, you’re not alone and don’t worry it’s never too late to do a little soul searching. In fact I hope you will love this exercise enough to make self-reflection a daily habit. Think about it, there is no relationship that is more significant than the one you have with yourself; so wouldn’t you agree that a little quiet “me” time, in an otherwise chaotic day, is well-deserved and necessary?
After you’ve asked yourself what it is you want, dust off your journal and start writing. You may find the answers come faster than you can put your pen to paper. Get excited, because this means that your desires are right there beneath the surface and you know what you want. Try to capture your thoughts in as much detail as possible. “People who very vividly describe or picture their desires are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals.” Be sure to write every single idea, don’t question them, don’t make up reasons as to why they’re not realistic, don’t “poo poo” any of these beautiful inspiring free flowing thoughts. You need only to capture them!
On the flip side, if your mind is blank and your desires aren’t surfacing right now, don’t worry, take your time with it. The first time I explored this question, I was hesitant, almost afraid to open myself up to the possibility of what I wanted and could have. After all it’s hard to go back to living your “normal” life once you’ve let your dream life “genie” out of the bottle. Try not to let fear get in the way. This self-reflection should be energizing and fun. If the idea of examining your WHOLE life feels overwhelming and you’re not sure where to start, consider looking at a few specific areas with the following questions to help guide your thinking:
- What do I want to experience in my personal life?
- What kind of relationships do I want?
- How do I want show up as a parent, partner, son, daughter, sister, friend?
- What do I want to achieve in my career?
- What kind of energy and lifestyle do I want?
- How much money do I want to make?
- How do I want to consistently feel?
- How do I want to contribute to my family, my community?
- Do I want to travel and where?
- What am I passionate about?
- What makes me happy?
- What do I want to learn?
The first step in designing the life of your dreams is to get crystal clear on what it is you want. This requires your willingness to be open, honest and unafraid with yourself. I hope this exercise leaves you feeling light and energized because you are connecting with your heart to create a vision that is uniquely yours. Have fun with it, be like a kid in a toy store (or me at the shoe store) and don’t be afraid to visualize BIG!
Make Your Vision a Reality
In this post, we looked at that first crucial step – getting clear on what you want. In order to make your vision a reality, you will need to take action. Our dreams are like aspirations and they can only come to life when we transform our thinking, shift our energy and then our actions. In the next few weeks we’ll look at how to turn your vision into actionable goals that can transform your life. Until then have fun designing your best life!
