Get Crystal Clear on Your Dream Life with These 4 Exercises

January 7, 2021

You know what you don’t want… but you struggle to put your finger around what you DO want?

Then this blog post’s for you.

With another year beginning (thankfully!), now’s the perfect time to evaluate goals and desires and decide on the direction you’ll be taking in the future.

If you’ve been struggling to figure out what your dream life looks like, then here are four simple exercises you can do to get some much-needed clarity.

Exercise 1: A recap

You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve come from.

That’s where a recap of last year (or even longer, if you wish) is a good way to see what’s been done so far.

And while it’s safe to say 2020 wasn’t exactly the best year, I’m sure you can find something good in it, only if you try.

How to do a recap of the year

An easy way to get started is to ask yourself these questions – and then list your answers. Try to fit at least a few things in each category!

What did you accomplished last year?
What didn’t you accomplish? Why?
What are you grateful for about last year?
What did you learn?
What are you most proud of?

Pro tip: To set yourself up for success, make sure the goals you’re setting are SMART.

Exercise 2: Pick a word of the year

The excitement of New Year’s resolutions is quick to fade away – and by March, you often don’t even remember what you were supposed to do in the first place.

On the other hand, choosing a word to guide you for the year is a great way to keep close to your vision and constantly remind yourself of your direction.

How to choose your word of the year

Think well about your major goals for the this new year. Let’s say, maybe you want to step away from a life that’s no longer working for you or finally start living a bit more intentionally.

Make a list of words that best describe your goals. If we were to take the same example, your words would move somewhere along these lines: courage, growth, abundance, success, fulfillment… feel free to add yours.

Once you narrow down your choice, go with the word that speaks most to you. Alternatively, you can write them down on different cards and hold each card. Again, choose the card that speaks to you most!

As soon as you choose a word of the year, place it somewhere visible, as an everyday reminder of your mission.

Exercise 3: Current me vs. Ideal me

The Current me vs. Ideal me exercise is timeless – it’s so easy to do and yet provides so much clarity to where you are now and where you want to go next.

Just remember to be gentle and loving with the Current me part. Don’t criticize yourself too much!

How to do current me vs. ideal me

Grab a piece of paper and split it in two, vertically.

On the left, there’s the current you. On the right, the ideal (future) you.

For each person, write down how they think, feel, and act. What mindset are they in? Include things like beliefs and habits that they’d need to drop – or adopt, respectively.

The more detailed you can be, the better. You can even include little drawings of yourself!

Exercise 4: Write a personal manifesto

Think of your personal manifesto as the promise your present-self is making to your future-self.

What is it that you’d like to promise to yourself now?
How are you going to honor your dreams, your time, your work, your energy?
What are the worldviews that would need to go?
Are your habits supporting you or sabotaging you?
What boundaries need to go up?

If it’s easier for you, you can also think of it as a letter from the past. Write it down, put it aside – and go back over it in a year. What’s going to be different?