5 Steps to Designing the Life you Want
Designing the life you want means getting intentional about what you focus on. To live a purpose-driven life we must get clear on what we want to create and then develop a plan that connects our vision to action.
At the end of each year, I take the time to reflect on the year before and vision what I want to create in the new year. This 5-Step process allows me to evaluate what’s working, what’s not, and where I want to go next. I often use the process with clients who are wanting to turn their dreams into reality and create a path to achieve what they want in life.
Take your time as you move through this process. You can complete it in one sitting, or come back to it over a few days. Most importantly be curious, dream big, and enjoy!
STEP 1: Reflect
The past holds important lessons that inform our future. Reflect on the last year of your life to take stock of where you are.
What were your highs? Think of the moments that made you feel alive, lit you up, brought you joy, etc.
What were your lows? Think of moments where you felt depleted, down, stuck, etc.
Step 2: Vision
DREAM BIG as you think about where you want to go next. Your potential is limitless. Let this vision be free from what you think you should do, and focus solely on what you want.
Based on your reflection, what you do want to turn up vs. turn down in your life?
What do you need more of?
What do you need less of?
What do want to create in the next year?
Who do you want to be?
How do you want to feel?
What do you want to be doing?
How will you honor your values and passions?
Step 3: Set Intentions/Goals
Based on your vision, what intentions/goals do you want to set? I use 4 categories:
Personal (development, spirituality, health)
Relationships (family, friends, parenting)
Resources (time, money)
Business (career etc.)
Feel free to play with what categories work best for you. I aim to have 2-4 reasonable intentions for each.
STEP 4: EStablish COMMITMENTS
Commitments solidify our intentions by setting clear boundaries of what we will and will not be putting our attention to. This step is key to energy management.
What are you saying YES to? (e.g., I am saying YES to boundaries that create more balance)
What are you saying NO to? (e.g., I am saying NO to perfectionism, I will not let perfect get in the way of good)
STEP 5: Create an Action Plan
Now that you are committed to making your vision come alive, create an action plan to make your intentions and goals tangible. Research shows that when we focus on the process to achieve our goals (habits) we are more successful than if we solely focus on the outcome we desire to achieve (goals).
Challenge yourself to start small as you think about how your intentions/goals connect to daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly habits and tasks. The rule of thumb is to have new habits take no longer than 2 minutes. Once you have established consistency you add more time until you reach the desired amount.
Here are some examples:
If your goal is to start a blog, your new habit could be to write 50 words a day
If your goal is to exercise more, your new habit could be to engage in any movement activity for 2 minutes daily
If your goal is to develop a meditation practice, your new habit could be to mediate 2 minutes a day
More on this to come in a future blog! If you want to learn more about habits in the meantime I highly recommend James Clear’s work on Atomic Habits. He has many free resources on his website: jamesclear.com
Want more?
Check out my Life Design Intensive! In this 90-minute session, we focus on giving you more clarity, balance, and fulfillment in your life and career. You get a workbook based on the steps above (plus more!) and a mini-training to help you get the most out of our time together. I created this offer as a way to meaningfully create change that you can implement right away!