Beginning the Journey

At the beginning of our journey, if we decide to take the call for our dreams, we will face decisions that will alter our daily lives—sometimes in subtle ways, other times in drastic ways. Choosing to change career paths, lose weight, remove toxic relationships, or learn a new skill could be life-changing.

We can always start a journey without knowing the destination, but we may be more lost after a while. Here are some tips on creating lasting and positive progress towards our dream life.

1 - Discover your Vision

In order to begin, we have to form a vision in our heads and hearts. We must decide what we would like to have in our lives and how it would make us feel.

Close your eyes and imagine a life that brings joy and fulfilment daily.

What would your life look like? What do you want to do every day? How do you feel physically, mentally and spiritually? Who are you surrounded by?

Explore, write it down, get photos online or from magazines, and create a vision board of those visions. Allow yourself to explore, aim for the stars, and fully feel what you desire to have in your life.

2 - Create a Plan

Wherever we decide to make improvements, we first need to create a working plan. This can be as detailed or simple as we want. It is something that we can refer to to see if we are progressing in the direction of those dreams or if we have gotten lost. The most important part is to make it measurable in some way, whether it is time, amount, or frequency.

Simple Plans:

Slaying the dragon.

Saving the Princess.

Losing 50 pounds.

Meditating every day for 90 days.

Journalling 3 days a week.

Detailed Plans:

Losing 50 pounds by eliminating processed sugar and packaged food from my diet, drinking 2 litres of water daily, going for a walk after dinner and doing yoga three times a week.

Journalling 3 days a week. Focus on ten things I am grateful for, ten things I want to improve and ten things I did well that week and how to make them better next week.

We can make them as detailed or simple as we want. If your goal is overwhelmingly large or daunting, breaking it down into mini-goals can help you move to the next steps.

3 - Find a Guide

Find someone from whom you can glean any information. This could be someone who has already achieved your goal or someone knowledgeable on the subject. This could be a relative, friend, coach, teacher or professional. Allow them to give you basic knowledge and advice to help you get started.

Hint: do not let this person discourage you or make you feel like you can not achieve your goal! Focus on information to get you started, not to make you hesitate.

Don’t know anyone you can talk to?

If we are not surrounded by people in our daily lives who can help us, we need to look for these guides in books, on social media, or in history. Find someone who has or is living the life you wish to have and absorb themselves in their wisdom. It will give you a sense of how to begin.

4 - Gather your Weapons/Supplies

To slay our dragons, we need the right tools. These could be a pair of running shoes, a book, a journal/sketchbook, or our mind. Preparation is key, and if you do not have the ability to get everything on your list, get what you can to get started. Focus on 1-3 things that you need to begin that will make the goal easier, and get them as soon as possible.

5 - The First Steps

The first few days are hard. Your goals will confuse your body, mind, and possibly your close friends and family. This can lead you to doubt yourself or wonder if it is worth it. Sit back and ask yourself one question.

In 5 years, will you be upset if you did not achieve this goal?

If yes, it is time to start your journey, Hero.

Remember: Discover your Vision, Make a Plan, Find a Guide, Gather your Weapons and take your First Steps.