Create a bucket list

• Having a bucket list will help you identify your personal and professional goals. When the daily routines of your life begin to set in, you are likely to let the days pass by without thinking too much about your long-term goals and desires. Use a bucket list to keep yourself focused, and make an effort every day to accomplish at least one small task that will lead you towards crossing things off of your bucket list. Marelisa Fábrega
• One of the easiest ways to begin clarifying what you truly want is to make a list of 30 things you want to do, 30 things you want to have, and 30 things you want to be before you die. This is a great way to get the ball rolling. Jack Canfield

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Connect to your younger self

• Find a photo of yourself in a yearbook or photo album. Try to connect to your younger self’s feelings. Ask the younger you what they’d think of the adult you’ve become. “Does this make you want to change anything about your life?” Margarita Tartakovsky

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What would a miracle look like?

• Suppose tonight, while you slept, a miracle occurred. When you awake tomorrow, what would be some of the things you would notice that would tell you life had suddenly gotten better? This question helps you identify what you really want, what’s getting in the way, and how to overcome those obstacles. Margarita Tartakovsky

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Create a vision of where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years

• The “where do you see yourself in five years?” question riddles everything from job interviews to financial plans. While it seems cliché, it works. Sometimes, just trying to answer the question is all you need. Thorin Klosowski
• Write down what you want your life to look like in 10 years. This isn’t just a outline or a general blueprint….this is all about the details. No holding back.   There are no barriers. What does your life look like if you aren’t afraid to reach for the stars. Don’t edit yourself, just write. Pick a day in your future and describe it…the more detail, the better. Where do you live? What does your house look like? Who lives with you? Are you married? Do you have children? Pets? What does your furniture look like? What do you look like? What kind of clothes do you wear? What kind of food do you eat? What is your job? etc etc etc…..you get the idea…. this should be a multi page project. J.J.

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Create a life resume

• Rather than focus on your career accomplishments, The Life Resume focuses on all of the awesome things you have done in your life. Have you run a marathon, climbed a mountain, wrote a book, had a child, jumped out an airplane, conquered your fear of heights? What are you most proud of? When have you pushed yourself to your limits to achieve something? These are the things that go on your life resume. When it comes to the Life Resume you want it to read like a book. The more pages, the better! Start your list and keep updating it as you do awesome things. I guarantee it will give you the motivation to do some of the things you want to accomplish but have been putting off. J.J. 

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Write a personal manifesto

• A manifesto is defined as a declaration of one’s beliefs, opinions, motives, and intentions. It is simply a document that an organization or person writes that declares what is important to them. What makes a manifesto so valuable is the fact that it is a constant source of inspiration to you, and one that can often be easily read every day. With a manifesto, it’s like you always have access to a calmer, more rational you. Steps: Pick the topics. You first need to figure out the topics you want to write about. These are the areas of your life for which you want to declare your principles. Set down your principles. Write down your beliefs, motives, and intentions about each of the topics you chose. Use strong, affirmative language. Zach Sumner

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Create a purpose statement

• Try writing in one sentence what you want to do in your life and career. This your “Why statement,” and it should take the following format: “To ______ so that ______.” The first blank represents the contribution you make to the lives of others. The second blank represents the impact of your contribution. For example, you might write, “To help others deal with their financial problems so that they can live happier lives.” Your statement of purpose may change over time, but in the present, it can help you in numerous ways, from deciding what job to take to figuring out how to make your current job more enjoyable. What I learned is all those people who know why they do what they do have an unbalanced amount of success. They also have an unbalanced amount of fulfillment and joy and inspiration, in their careers and in their lives. Simon Sinek

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The 4 P’s

• Step 1. Pushback: Be specific about what upsets you about your life, and why.  Step 2: Possibilities: Once you’ve complained yourself into a nice high dudgeon, release the energy of finding fault and take up the energy of imagination. Holding in your mind the situation that leads to the strongest Pushback, begin mentally playing out ways it might change.  Step 3: Preferences: If you stay loose and relaxed as you’re conjuring Possibilities, you’ll notice that some of them leave you feeling intrigued, curious, a bit lighter. These are your Preferences. Let them tiptoe into your consciousness.  Step 4: Pinpoints: Thinking of a solution you’d like to see, ask yourself, What would be even better? After allowing an answer to come into focus, ask, What would be even better than that? Repeat this until you’ve got an image of a situation so perfect you literally can’t imagine a way to top it. This is Pinpoint clarity. Success at creating clarity relies on getting a feel for the four Ps, and that comes only through another P—practice. Martha Beck

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Four questions

• How do you figure out specifically what you want in life? You must ask yourself a series of four questions. They are: What do I want? What must I do to have it? How would I feel when I have it? So, what I really want is to feel ___ (fill in the blank)?  Once you’ve answered these questions, you circle back for round two (and maybe three and four) of the same questions. And—this is important—you can’t give the same answer twice. The idea is to keep digging deeper, for root answers.  Most people start out with something pretty superficial, like wanting a new job, a new car, or a new husband—something external to themselves. But what they really want is pride in themselves, for example. If you play this game alone, writing down your answers is helpful; if you do it with a friend, choose someone you trust. And remember: This is a “What do you want?” exercise that should be followed by the drawing up of a “How do you get it?” real-life action plan. Phillip C. McGraw, Ph.D