Are you one of those people who believes that you will be able to “live” with meaning and joy someday in the future; but not today?
Do you believe that today is all about the struggle, putting in the work, doing without, and just getting through it?
You can continue to do that if you want to. But if you are ready to move one step closer to living the life you want to live, then keep reading.
The secret to living your “it gets better” life is to start living it today in every little way you possibly can.
Yes, you read that correctly. Start living your tomorrow life, today!
You may already have an idea of what your “it gets better” day would look like without having to think about it too much, or you may be so bogged down in your day-to-day that you would not know what to do if your perfect day landed in your lap.
I have used the following exercise with some clients, regardless of where they are, to help them explore what their dream day(s) would contain.
Step 1: Write down your responses to these questions.
- What time would you wake up?
- Where would you wake up?
- What is the first thing you would do?
- What does your morning routine include?
- What would you have for breakfast?
- What would you spend your morning doing?
- What would you eat for lunch?
- How would you spend your afternoon?
- What would you eat for dinner?
- How would you spend your evening?
- What time would you go to sleep?
- How would exercise/movement fit into your day?
- What hobbies would you pursue?
- Who would you call, text, or visit?
- How would you connect with yourself?
- What would thrill and delight you?
Step 2: Assign emotions to each answer.
Go back and make note of specific emotions that correspond to each answer. You might feel like you have already gotten enough insight from doing the first step, but do not stop just yet!
The reason this is important is that our feelings are POWERFUL. Connecting an emotion to your answers helps to you identify what it is you want. Maybe it is more excitement, peace, or confidence. You will not know until you ask.
Step 3: Tell a great story.
Take your answers to the questions with the associated emotion and turn them into a great story! Our brains love stories. The psychologist Pamela Rutledge explains that “to the human brain, imagined experiences are processed the same as real experiences…Through imagination, we tap into creativity that is the foundation of innovation, self-discovery, and change.”
The more details you can give in your story, the better. Start from the moment you wake up and continue through the day.
Step 4: Look at the data.
In this step, you will compare what is usually happening with what you wish were happening more often.
With three different colored highlighters, it is time to mark up your list.
- Highlight those aspects of your dream day you already have or are doing.
- Highlight those that you could realistically do.
- Highlight those that would be a stretch.
For example, in my “it gets better” day, these things already make a regular appearance:
- My children
- My business
- My finances
Additionally, many of the things I listed in my dream day are well within reach:
- Waking up at 5:00 am.
- A morning routine of reading, journaling, and walking.
- Exercising/movement activities.
- Eating healthy food.
Doing these things require some new habits, but nothing that is impossible.
Step 5: Make a plan.
You could stop after any one of the steps and get some valuable information about what is keeping you from living your “it gets better” life now, but there is still more! It is in the gap between what IS and what could BE that strategies can be made.
For every obstacle, there is a correlating strategy.
Begin by asking these questions:
- What is keeping me from doing the things I have identified as realistic?
- What is keeping me from figuring out the things I have identified as a stretch?
Summary
It is so easy to think that we will live our “it gets better” life once our circumstances change, but why wait when you can enjoy it today?
This exercise is a fun and eye-opening way of seeing that you are closer to your dreams than you realize. Once you can identify the gaps, you can create plans that will bring them closer to reality. This is where having a coach can make a difference. I love helping you create patterns and habits that allow you to feel and experience your life in new and exciting ways.
This was so so good!!!!