Many of us believe that we’ll 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, getting the work done, doing without, and just getting through it? You can do that if you want to.
But, if you’re ready to move one step closer to living the life you want to live, I have a treat for you.
The secret to living your “it gets better” life is to start living it today in every little way you possibly can.
Yes, 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 wouldn’t know what to do if your perfect day landed in your lap.
Regardless of where you are, the following exercise will help you explore what your dream day 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?
- How would you spend your morning doing?
- What would you eat for lunch?
- How would you spend your afternoon doing?
- What would you eat for dinner?
- How would you spend your evening?
- What time would you go to sleep?
- How would exercise fit into your day?
- What hobbies would you pursue?
- Who would you call, text, or visit?
- How would you connect to yourself?
- What would thrill and delight you?
Step 2: Assign emotions to each answer.
Go back and make a note of specific emotions that correspond to each answer. You might feel like you’ve already gotten enough insight from doing the first step, but don’t stop just yet.
The reason this is important is that our feelings are powerful. Connecting an emotion to your answers helps you identify what it is you want. Maybe it is more excitement, peace, or confidence. You won’t 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’s 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 husband.
- Our children.
- My business.
- Our home.
Additionally, many of the things I listed in my dream day are well within reach:
- Waking up at 6:00 am.
- A morning routine of reading, writing and walking.
- Snuggling with my kids.
- 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’s 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’ll 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.
If you’re willing to share your “it gets better” day with me, I’d love to hear it.
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
