Step 1 – Permission to dream the dream.
Focus on the ‘what’ not the ‘how’. We’re so busy fast-tracking trying to work out how we are actually going to bring something to life, rather than giving ourselves permission to simply dream about what life could look like.
ASK: What is it that I want for myself? You can work out the roadmap later. Sit in the dream space.
Step 2 – Create clarity.
Write down the things that are most important to you in your life, and also write freely about the things you would like to have in your life.
And then once you’ve got this on paper, you have an opportunity to sift and sort until you have some clarity about the things that are most important. Go with your gut. As you go through this stream of consciousness exercise, you will get a hit of butterflies in your stomach or excitement in your chest, maybe a sense of nervousness and that’s okay. That is your guide.
Step 3 – Consider these questions.
- If you could have anything in the world right now, what would you ask for?
- If you could give up one thing that was weighing you down, what would it be?
- What gives you positive energy?
- What tracts from your energy?
- What are the values that you hold most sacred?
- If you followed the joy in your career and your life, where would it lead you?
- What is your definition of success?
- What is your greatest dream for your work?
- What is your greatest dream for your life?
- What does your ideal day look like?
Step 4 – Emotionally fuel the vision.
Pick one thing on your list that you would like to bring into your life and start to emotionally fuel that vision. Let’s say it’s balance that you really want to create, that you want to have some space to breathe, to grow, to create, to enjoy your life.
Ask yourself as you go through this, what would balance look like in your life? Start to bring the emotion into it so that it’s not just an exercise on paper, but that you’re really feeling into it. Put this question on a post-it note so you see it frequently.
Step 5 – Get creative.
This is where you get to have some fun. We know from positive psychology and neuroscience that positive images pull us forward. That’s why you hear so many people talking about the power of visualisation. It’s time to create a visual representation of your vision and the core elements that you have written down. You can use a journal, an online tool like Pinterest or Canva, or my personal favourite, a vision board.
It doesn’t need to make sense to anybody else. It doesn’t need to be literal. Let it help pull you into the future that you want to create for yourself.
Step 6 – Start bringing your vision to life.
Now that you have some more clarity, pick one thing from your vision list and find a small way to bring it into your life each day for one week. If it’s the balance you’re looking for, tweak your schedule to free up some 10-minute blocks for restoration, to bring yourself back to yourself and back to that sense of balance.
Now notice here that I’ve said pick one thing because we often feel like we need to change our whole life in a minute. And not only is it not possible, but it’s way too much pressure.
