How to Design Your Dream Life

Same Path, Same Results

When you exit high school, the path onward is pretty straightforward. You have a general idea of the career you want so you head off to college for 4-5 years to get a degree. Afterward, you go out to get a 9-5 in your field of study.

Most people fall into this way of life without much thought. I mean why wouldn’t you when this (seems to be) the easiest path forward. Everyone follows it because it's a tried-and-true method to get you somewhere. But why is it that down the line most people end up unhappy with where they are? They hate their jobs, have no time for things they enjoy, and are generally disappointed with life. They got somewhere but not where they hoped to end up.

We are told to follow our passions and create a life we love. While this is great advice, I don’t think people comprehend what that means. Most people miss out on the fact that we have a lot of power over the type of life we create for ourselves. We choose the kind of work we do, the amount of money we make, the friends we have. It all comes down to discovering what you desire out of life.

YOU Need to Know What YOU Want

Most people end up in jobs they hate because they don’t know what they want.

Most people live mediocre lives because they don’t know what they want.

Most people stress about the future because they don’t know what they want.

Do you see the pattern?

When you go through life without a definite target you end up in a place you didn’t aim for.

Think about some of the things you’ve done in life. Whether you learned to code, started a business, or got a college degree. You aimed for something and reached that goal. You must treat all aspects of your life, finances, health, relationships, etc., the same way. You have to decide how each area of your life looks. To achieve a life you love, you have to forge your path. If you don’t, you'll end up on the same path as everyone else. What a successful life looks like is highly personal to each individual. Nobody can predict what you are going to love and enjoy besides yourself.

What do you actually want?

To consider your future, you have to analyze your present.

Look at your life right now. What are you currently doing? What habits do you have? What does your day-to-day look like?

How do you feel about where you are at? Do you enjoy your career? What would you love to keep about your life? What would you love to change about your life?

Knowing where you are right now will give you insight into how to move forward.

Consider the 7 areas of life:

Health, Finances, Relationships, Career/Business, Free Time, Spirituality, and Personal Development.

To create your dream life you need to define what success looks like for you in each area. One question I love to ask myself is: if time and money weren’t an issue, what would I want my life to look like? This allows me to dream big about the life I desire without worrying about the how. Dreaming without restraint gives you an unfiltered view of what you truly enjoy. It allows you to see what’s possible in your life.

When answering this question dig deep into what you want. Don’t say “I want to make a lot of money” or “I want to be healthy”. Think about what that actually means for you.

Some people are happy making $50,000, while others would love to make $500,000.

Some people enjoy the Ketogenic diet, while others want to cut their sugar intake.

As I said before, defining success is highly personal.

It’s a Journey, Not a Destination

As you learn, grow, and experience life, you’ll find that your vision for your dream life will shift. Your vision won’t be the same after a year, it might not even be the same after a few months and that’s ok.

Last year, I changed my business 3 times. I went from an administrative assistant to a social media manager, to a brand designer. While it was a lot of change in a short amount of time, it allowed me to better understand myself. I learned more about my strengths and weaknesses, which made my path clearer for me.

Remember that this is a journey. Each new step you take will become a lesson and a guide for your path forward.

You aren’t going to get everything right the first time. You will need to try new things and have different experiences to understand what you want.

Your Choice

Ultimately, the choice is yours. You choose what kind of career you have, how your day-to-day looks, and the amount of money you make. You determine what your life looks like. The key is to be intentional about it. Use your present life as a guide for your future life. Consider all areas of your life. What do you love about it and want to keep? What do you hate about it and want to change? Take this and define what a successful life looks like for you.

This is the beginning of creating a life you love.