Discovering What You Want for Your Life

I often recommend that life planning be based upon an individual's personal vision and purpose. If you are going to handcraft a life of choice, you'll need to know what you want so that you can make the choices that take you there. The trouble is that many (most?) of you cannot name what it is you want.

If you don't make choices for your life, others will. Often, choices are made by circumstances, weak foundation, past, parents. Choosing what you want in life and out of life is a new skill for many people. It may take some practice. At some point, you realize that you are able to, and must, make choices for your life.

Here are some tips that you can use to help you discover what you do want in this brief, but magnificent, experience called life.

1. Name what you don't want; you may realize your wants through contrast.

2. Tell the truth about what is so. Don't put a positive spin or powerful interpretation on your life today if you don't really believe it. If you think your life is lousy, say so, and get ready to do something about it.

3. Identify what you do very well and what you are lousy at.

4. Identify the five things/people that are most negatively or over-influencing your behavior today.

5. Consciously scan the global village, it's participants, and activities. List your top five appealing careers/ activities that serve humanity or you like the best.

6. Identify the top five ways you'd like to experience yourself. Don't put any limits on this.

7. Take the time to get to know yourself newly. Weed out beliefs that no longer serve you. Articulate your needs and values. Adopt an attitude of self discovery.

8. Allow stillness. Create empty spots within a busy life in order to create the space through which new ideas can emerge. The universe abhors a void; when you create the empty space, it will be filled very quickly.

9. Capture the ideas about vision, purpose, or mission as they come. Compile them in a file or box for future review.

10. Formulate your ideas into a personal vision or sense of purpose that pulls you forward.

How much time this process will take depends on you. The best place to start is exactly where you are. You, and your ideas about this, are ever evolving. Your mind is the greatest tool that you can use in this endeavor. You must use it in a deliberate and focused way to yield the results you want. Your thought comes first, then, you take actions consistent with your thought.

Life is much more gratifying when we deliberately engage it through our choices rather than living the effects of someone else's choices. In other words, being at cause of life, not at the effect of life. Be the chooser of the life game you wish to play.