6 Steps to Creating Your Future

Creating your future, train tracks — Photograph by Bill Miles

A simple framework for shifting your life and creating your future

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Are you standing in the ‘What’s next?’ doorway? Are you wondering what you should do with your life? So often we pull back from these pivotal moments unprepared to execute a plan — not because we don’t want to change, but simply because we just don’t have a plan. What you’re looking for is a new vision for yourself—one that will ignite your spirit, fueled by the energy within your heart — a new vision that will transform your life into a new reality.

Here’s the good news: Believe it or not, you’re in the right place at the right time for change.

Here are 6 ways to step forward to create a compelling vision for your future:

1. Slow Down

All too often we focus on reacting to what’s going on around us — the phone, the car, the job, the continuous pressing noise that surrounds our daily life. Stop. Hang it all up for a little while. Put aside time for yourself, to heal and adjust to your surroundings, to set a course for your future. Take some real time for yourself to just be by yourself for a little while, free from all the distractions in your life. Sit and think about what you want your life to be like and what you want it to represent.

2. Clear Your Mind

Find a quiet place to be alone with your thoughts, to really spend some time with your inner self. Take some deep diaphragmatic breaths in and out. Feel the air passing your lips while you clear your mind. When you arrive at a clear, open space in your mind, what do you hear? What is your inner voice saying to you? What’s really important to you, what are you really passionate about, what are you great at? What is your true purpose in life?

3. Think Big

Now is not the time to hold back; now is the time to let go. Think about what you are capable of and reach for the maximum outcome. If you aim high, your successes will be monumental. If you shoot too low, who cares, right? Take this time to dream about the possibilities and what you can do if you put your heart and soul into it. Truly step outside the norm and think about what you could accomplish if you bring your full self to it. Really let go and dream about the possibilities for a while.

4. Get Focused

Once you have a clear idea of what’s important to you and what you’re capable of, it is time to focus on what that really looks like. See your vision for yourself in full detail, as if it were already completed. Imagine every single angle of this vision. Feel what it would be like to embody this image. Clarity is key; you must completely know what your vision will look like from front to back, side to side, inside and out.

5. Believe in Yourself

Your spirit lies in your belief in ‘what if’ and the possibilities of what you are capable of accomplishing. When you find yourself on the edge of self-doubt, stop and say: “Yes, I can do this. This is really who I am and who I am about to become!” Accept nothing less than your personal best for yourself and take things one step at a time. Small steps lead to giant leaps over time. Remember a time when you experienced success. Hold those thoughts and feelings close to your heart, and remember that you can do it. You’ve succeeded before and this time there’s no stopping you.

6. Take Action

Once you’ve developed your vision, you must take a step towards it in order to start the process of change. If not, you’re just leaving another idea left to wash away and be forgotten. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming — just a small step to symbolize the beginning of this next journey in your life. Prove to yourself that you are committed to making this a reality by serving yourself a taste of your future.

Remember, this is only the beginning. Time is ticking off right in front of you. What you do with your time shapes your destiny, so make every day count. Where you focus your heart is who you really are and what you will leave behind. What you do with your spirit will light up your soul forever. What you see with your vision is how you will live today and how decisions will be made for tomorrow. Visualize your future as rewarding and exciting, and recognize that your personal best is available to you right now. Be the true you and live the adventure of a lifetime — your lifetime, your vision!