Do you ever feel lost when it comes to the future? Completely clueless of where you are heading, or even worse, peddling and not getting anywhere.
Having a vision of whatever it is you want can give you clarity to actually achieving it. Sometimes we have a tendency to be anxious about the future; let's cancel the noise, clarify your thoughts and start taking action towards the life you want.
I know people who have their entire lives planned out, they seem like they know what they want and are living it out as planned. This makes me overwhelmingly happy for them, and though the traditional ways have never settled well within me as something I wanted to do, I have huge visions too; I've always have; maybe even in some minds my visions seemed a little out there; almost unrealistic. But even when I didn't, I always knew what I wanted my life to look like; feel like. Some of them came in disguise and my life has unfolded in a peculiar way at times, but some way I have achieved my visions, wants and desires; even some of the insane ones.
I'm so happy today to share these useful tools to help you get clarity around your goals, values, and visions for your future, so that you too can start taking action from a place of alignment.
Remember, you can have an outrageously big vision and still take small steps to get there.
My Gramma always said, 'How are you going to have a dream come true, if you don't have a dream'. She was so right.
Creating Your Vision
First things first, what is it you really want? Not what you don't want, but what are the things that you do want in your life. Picture that. Start somewhere.
What are the things you want to accomplish in your lifetime? Wealth, health, travel, relationships, self-love?
Since we all have different goals and dreams, getting clear on your vision will help you create a path that feels the most fulfilling for you.
I find nothing wrong in wanting more. More of anything really. There is no need to feel guilty, embarrassed or ashamed for wanting more. More money, success, freedom, love, joy and meaning to life. It's part of the growing process; improvement. I know a lot of us were taught that “more” was a bad thing. But to me there is a significant difference between ambition and greed. Greed is intense and selfish whereas ambition is the desire and determination to achieve greatness, maybe even share it with others.
The Vision Exercise
This might be the most useful exercises to help crack the code and help you visualize those wants you might have.
And remember though dreams and goals change over time, it's good to start from right now. You don’t have to figure out your entire life immediately, but going through some of these categories might give you a starting point and a direction.
Find a place where you can focus and you won’t be disturbed; visualize exactly what you want out of these areas of life:
1. Financial wealth
How much do you make annually?
What does your home look like?
Where do you live?
What kind of car do you drive?
2. Career and Calling
Where do you work?
What are you doing?
Who are you working with?
3. Relaxation and Fun
What do you do in your free time?
Where do you travel to?
4. Health and Self care
What are you doing to stay healthy?
What do you do to pamper yourself?
5. Relationships
What is your relationship like with your family and friends?
What type of romantic relationship are you in?
6. Personal and Spiritual Life
How are you improving yourself as a person?
How are you nourishing your mind, body, and soul?
7. Community
What kind of communities are you part of?
How are you helping others?
After you’ve visualized, write them down. WRITE. THEM. DOWN. Seriously. I have numerous lists, vision boards* and books dating back to the mid 90's. And this exercise is no bull.
*How to create an empowering vision board. Decide what you want to bring into your life; your focus. Choose images and words from magazines (etc.) that appeal to you. Add, arrange and glue images on a big canvas. Hang it where you'll see it every day.
What If Your Vision Changes?
This really isn't an IF kinda question, because as we grow, our visions should and will change.
I have a tendency to change my mind, but my deepest visions, dreams and goals are deeply ingrained within me that they have rarely shifted.
Whenever I’ve written a list or created a vision board of things I want to accomplish in my life, I have revisited them years later and find that I’ve either accomplished things without realizing it or I still want to accomplish them just in a different way than I first imagined.
Don’t worry about whether your vision makes sense or how you'll actually achieve it all, focus on what you want out of life at this current moment and trust that it will happen. Pay attention of the signs that are pushing you towards that thing and those new paths and people you come across.
If and when you start feeling unsure about the future, understand that you do deserve this dream life, even if it seems extraordinary or impossible.
I hope this post has encouraged you to dare to dream big, create a vision for your future and help you be aligned with how you imagine your life being. Please leave a comment and share your vision for the future (get specific!) so I can cheer you on.