How to Create Your Dream Life
“It’s not about the goal—it’s about who we get to become achieving it.”
-Tony Robbins
Life is a journey.
Life is a journey, whether you treat it like one or not. We’ve all met people who simply let life happen to them. Perhaps they’re happy and content with navigating their journey without a destination in mind. But if you’re reading this article, something tells me you’re not that type of person. You see life as a journey with a defined destination (or even just a series of exciting stops).
So, if you’re here to create your dream life, I have good news. It’s possible. I was thrown into my adult life early when I became a mother at fifteen. The road I took to create the success I’m experiencing today was full of metaphorical potholes, detours, and roadblocks. There were no easy shortcuts to take or GPS directions to guide me smoothly through. I created my dream life by employing every resource I had and by staying focused on my goals.
Here are some small but powerful truths I learned while growing into who I am today.
You will never arrive at your life.
I want to put this out there first. Just because I’ve come so far and am satisfied with where I am in my life, doesn’t mean that the journey is over. In fact, I would argue that your journey isn’t over until you’ve taken your last breath. If that sounds overwhelming or exhausting to you, I encourage you to look back at the Tony Robbins quote I included at the top of this article.
Actively working towards what you want is just as valuable, if not far more so, than accomplishing your goals. It’s the in-between times—the moments, months, and years you spend putting in the time and energy it takes to create a fulfilling life—that give you the skills, wisdom, and experience that will one day be your greatest assets.
These moments will also make up the bulk of your existence, so learn to enjoy them just as much as “arriving” at your goals. Never forget that the process of achieving is just as significant as the desired outcome of those efforts.
Use everything at your disposal.
Often when asked why they haven’t achieved a goal or finished something (a project, degree, etc.), people will respond by saying that they don’t currently have the resources they need for it to happen. I like to challenge this common refrain. Is it that you don’t have the resources or is that you aren’t being resourceful enough?
Resourcefulness is the ability to solve problems using just what you have right now. All of us have many untapped resources at our disposal but maybe don’t even recognize them as resources in the first place. For example, emotions are extraordinarily powerful resources. As human beings, we will always have emotions. If left totally unregulated, they can create a chaotic, self-sabotaging existence. But when harnessed as a source of motivation, they can fuel the creation of your dream life. In this way, emotions can be a superpower.
Let me explain further. All of us are born into the circumstances that we’re born into. We don’t have a choice in the matter, and some people enter this world with less resources than others. Instead of accepting your lot in life as an insurmountable obstacle, get mad about it. Anger and frustration at the fact that you aren’t one of “the lucky ones” can be used as a potent accelerant towards your goals.
Passionate and compelling individuals are those who have collected their powerful emotions and used them in a constructive manner. They have trained themselves to harness those, rather than allowing them to run amok. In your next moment of intense feeling, consider how your emotions could be a resource for your betterment!
You have all of the necessary ingredients.
The things necessary to succeed are actually extraordinarily simple. You need to be alive and breathing. You need to be able to communicate with others in some way. You need to possess the ability to learn new things. You must be able to do things with consistency. You must have a desire to achieve anything, big or small.
The majority of people meet these five simple requirements. While on your journey, you might look to outside sources for answers. This isn’t inherently a bad thing. I know I certainly educate and motivate myself with the help of those that inspire me. But when it comes down to creating your dream life, you are the only one who has the answers.
As social creatures, humans look to each other for help and advice. There’s value in talking things through with another person. But at the end of the day, you are the one piloting the ship, and because of that, you are far and away the most qualified person to make decisions on circumstances in your own life. When faced with a decision, you must be able to trust yourself. All the answers you need are already inside you.
Keep it simple.
Many people associate the word simple with the word easy. I want to be clear— the path to creating your dream life can be simple but it will almost certainly not be easy. The process I’ve developed for improving your life and achieving your goals is simple enough for anyone to execute. But it takes hard work and dedication, two characteristics that are inherently the opposite of easy.
If you’re ready to give it your all in order to get where you dream of being, you’re in the right place. I’m passionate about helping others just like you craft an existence that they are overwhelmingly proud to call their own. That’s why I created a tool to help—my book #KeepGoing. In it, I lay out both my personal journey and my simple methods for getting there. Start your journey today by purchasing your copy. It could be the first simple decision that changes your life.
