Chapter 1: Discovering Your Deepest Aspirations

What do you truly desire? Many of us envision a better job, completing a marathon, starting our own business, or achieving financial stability, among other goals. These ambitions often remain unexpressed due to the fear that they may seem unattainable or overly ambitious. For instance, we might think, "When will I ever have my successful business?" or "I'm stuck in a toxic relationship and don't know how to move forward." This avoidance often stems from the discomfort associated with setting intentional and meaningful goals.

These aspirations typically arise from specific life areas—such as health, sports, or nutrition—and we believe that attaining them will resolve all our problems and lead us to happiness at some point in the future.

I encourage you to dedicate an hour to yourself to reflect on and visualize your future. This exercise is best done before the year ends, allowing you to enter 2024 with clarity and purpose.

Take a piece of paper and divide it into twelve segments, each representing a crucial aspect of your life for examination. I recommend using the twelve areas identified by Jon & Missy Butcher in their Lifebook course, which covers: health and fitness, intellectual growth, emotional well-being, character development, spirituality, romantic relationships, parenting, social connections, career, financial wellness, quality of life, and your overarching life vision.

Consider the following guiding questions for each area, or simply engage in a process of sincere self-reflection. We all have a mental picture of our ideal selves in each domain. A useful method for articulating this is through visualization.

Close your eyes and picture an ordinary day in your ideal life. Go through each of the twelve areas:

Health and Fitness — How do you envision yourself? What do you wish to eat? What types of exercise do you want to incorporate, and when? What would your ideal daily routine look like?

Intellectual Growth — What steps will you take for personal and professional development? What courses or books do you aspire to pursue? How much time do you wish to dedicate to this area?

Emotional Well-being — How would you prefer to react emotionally? What connections do you see between your thoughts, actions, and feelings? What do you aim to achieve in this sphere?

Character Development — How would you like to express yourself? What traits would you want to change? What biases could you release, and how would you like to define yourself?

Spirituality — How do you wish to engage with the unseen aspects of existence? What practices, such as meditation or gratitude journaling, resonate with you? Spirituality can be personal and doesn't need to align with traditional religious beliefs.

Romantic Relationships — What does your ideal partnership look like? How do you hope to grow together with your partner? What shared values do you envision?

Parenting — What is your relationship with your children, and how do you want it to evolve? What do you wish to give and receive in these interactions?

Social Connections — What types of friendships do you wish to cultivate? How do these relationships enhance your life?

Career — What are your professional aspirations? How do you envision your daily work life?

Financial Wellness — What does financial security mean to you? What relationship do you desire with money?

Quality of Life — What does a fulfilling life look like for you? What choices and actions will enhance your daily existence?

Life Vision — If you could encapsulate all your desires into a singular life vision, what would it encompass? How would you summarize your aspirations in one sentence?

Evaluate where you currently stand in relation to your vision, rating each area on a scale of 1 to 10. This assessment will help you identify which aspects need the most attention and which may be hindering your progress.

Now, consider this second challenge: imagine your ideal self five years from now. Does that feel too ambitious? We often overestimate what we can achieve in one or two years but underestimate our capabilities over five or ten years. We are more capable than we realize, but it requires transforming dreams into specific goals, paired with a practical action plan and consistent efforts. Successful individuals know exactly what they want, possess self-confidence, and pursue their plans with discipline.

The third challenge involves setting three major goals based on your life vision. These goals will fuel your motivation as you begin to take action. Reflect on your ratings for the twelve life areas and jot down initial steps for the areas you feel need the most attention. Identify the most challenging, desirable, or often-avoided aspects and break each action into three manageable steps. Begin implementing these steps starting tomorrow.

For instance, if your aim is weight loss, a step could be incorporating protein and vegetables into every meal. If you want to focus on personal growth, seek out opportunities to enroll in a course you’ve always wanted to take.

You don’t need to have a complete roadmap to your dream life right now; just focus on how to begin. As you progress, new opportunities and actions will emerge, many of which you might not even see at this moment. The “how” is influenced by your past experiences and limitations. By investing in your personal development and taking action, you’ll discover a newfound sense of freedom, creativity, and clarity, allowing you to filter out unhelpful influences. The “how” will evolve in unexpected ways, guiding you closer to the person you aspire to become. It’s time to take the first step.

In "How to Kickstart Your Best Year Yet: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Started!" Heather Crockett provides essential strategies for initiating meaningful change in your life.

In "4 Steps To Getting Started On Your Life's Work," this video outlines actionable steps to help you pursue your life's purpose effectively.