What Do You Want Out of Life?

This is a question I believe everyone asks themselves at least once in their life. I find that it comes up when you feel stuck and unsure where to look next. If this question does come to mind, it's time to start to experiment.

  Over the years I've asked myself this same question countless times. I wasn't sure if the direction I was going in was the right one or I just felt stuck. These moments can feel scary due to the lack of options in the moment or too many to choose from.

Thinking About Life…

  When you feel this way you just need to step back, clear your head, and take a deep breath. Letting the feeling overwhelm you isn't going to do you any favors. It's now time to consider your options. Pull out a pen and paper, or your favorite notes app. Write out a list of things that you want to achieve in life. If it helps, look at this like goals. These can be anything from traveling the world, becoming wealthy, finding love, working on your health, or all of the above. These come from the main pillars of life, health, wealth, relationships, and spirituality.

  Once you have your list, go back and review it. Can you be more specific? If you're trying to lose weight, how much weight? If it's to be wealthy, what exactly would be the elements you need to consider yourself wealthy? Is it a million dollars in the bank while owning an exotic car collection? The specifics gives you more of an image to focus on.

  If you accomplished these things I'm willing to bet that you'd feel really good about it. Keep that feeling in mind. Grab another piece of paper, or open a new document in your notes apps. On this one we want to list out all of our pain points we have today and the potential ones in our future if things don't change. It could be that you don't want to be stuck in your current job for the rest of your life, or not liking how you look and feel due to your weight. Anything that brings that painful feeling you don't want to have, list it out.

  A lot of internet and manifestation gurus will only have you think about the positive and the wants in life. I understand their approach and it does work for a lot of people, just not everyone. The understanding of how much you don't want something can push you towards taking actions.

I find that pain points are good motivators to keep me moving in the direction I'm striving towards. This has also helped me clarify what I do want when I'm unsure or having trouble being specific of those wants.

  In the journey of life, if you want something you must steer towards it. If you don't, you'll drift and life will take you for a ride in any direction. This direction can tend towards a direction that you don't want. You'll be given goals and achievements instead of creating your own. Make your own path.

  Now that you've gone over both your wants, and your pain points, give it one more review. Check to see if your pain points make you want to adjust your wants. Maybe get even more detailed.

  What's great about these two documents is that they are ever living. You can go back and make adjustments as much as you want or need. Set a reminder to review them regularly, it can be weekly, or monthly. This also gives you the opportunity to make adjustments as needed.

  Hold on you're not done yet. What's the point of creating these if you aren't going to use them? Pick one item on your wants list. You can do more than one, but if you're just starting out I suggest starting with one. This will keep you from becoming overwhelmed.

  Consider your next steps for this item, and write them down. Here is where we want to be as specific as possible. If it's to lose weight. How much weight? What are you going to do to lose the weight? How will you keep track? How will you keep yourself disciplined?

  Questions like these are the ones you will need to answer to figure out your next steps. As you write these out you will need to make a plan of action. Keep it simple. Reduce the friction between you and the next action. If you're going to eat healthier and take junk food out of your daily routine, your next action is to make a grocery list of healthy foods you need. The one after that is to remove any junk food currently in the house. The next from there is to go grocery shopping with that list in hand.

  The answer to your actual next action is in the specifics. Just because you know you need to shop for healthier foods doesn't mean it doesn't have resistance. That's why you make the shopping list first. It reduces the resistance to the action of going shopping for something healthier.

  Why go through this process when you ask yourself, "What do I want out of life?" It's really about experimentation. Trying different things to see what feels right to you. That's why we want to review these lists and adjust as we see fit.

  Lets review the process;

List out what you want to achieve in life.

This can be wants, goals, anything

Consider the pillars of life

• Health

• Wealth

• Relationships

• Happiness

• Spirituality

List out what you don't want in life.

Consider pain points

What don't you want so much that forces you to take action today

Review your list of your wants in life again.

Think about how the negative items on your "Don't Want" list might effect items on your "Want" list.

Make adjustments as you see needed.

Setup Reminders to review both of these lists

Make this a regular review

• Weekly

• Monthly

Figure out your first want to achieve

Really consider the most important item to start with.

Think about the pillars of life.

Plan of action

Figure out next steps and list them out.

Be specific, this is the key to reduce resistance to action.

Take Action

Look at your list of actions, find the first one you need to do, and just do it.

Don't wait, start today. You may not have tomorrow.

Carpe Diem

These steps will only get you started. Keep disciplined, keep going, and make your own path.