3 Ways to Create a More Fulfilling Life: Create a Vision, Face Your Fears, and Be Your Vision

Is your life everything you want it to be?

As we look ahead to the new year, it is a great time to consider how our lives could be better. Gift yourself this holiday by following these three ways to move forward and create an even more fulfilling life.

Create a Vision

By creating a vision of what you would like your life to be, you bring clarity to your path. The steps you need to take now to make that vision a reality can become clearer. You may also become more aware of opportunities as they present themselves and better able to decide which ideas to embrace and which to leave behind.

Creating a vision is not just daydreaming. Vision produces a clear picture of what you would like your life to be like in the future. What will you be doing? Where will you live? Who will be your friends? What kind of impact will you have on the world?

One great exercise that can help you make your vision more concrete is to write your own obituary. This exercise makes you think about what kind of legacy you would like to leave. What do you want people to say about you when you are gone? Once you have envisioned your legacy, return to the present and consider what you can do right now to bring that legacy closer to reality.

Face Your Fears

The next step is to look openly at the reasons why you have not taken action to make your vision a reality. What is standing in the way of your vision? What fears are you facing? Are you afraid to look ridiculous, waste your time, fail publicly, or lose money?

The best way to face what is holding you back is to write down those fears. Yes, make a list of all of them, from the most impactful—I could die—to the silliest—my kids will be embarrassed. Get them all down.

The next step is to write down what you will gain even if you do not fully achieve your vision. Will you develop a new skill or meet inspiring people? Will you help people who really need it or become a role model for people you know? It is easy to focus on what there is to lose by taking action. However, fully understanding what you could gain may help you move closer to your vision.

One way to face your fears is to do something unrelated to your vision that really scares you—something you have not done before but that takes you outside your comfort zone. It could be something like going ziplining or speaking to someone you admire. Afterward, you may recognize that facing something scary can be manageable, which can encourage you to take steps toward your goal.

Be Your Vision

Finally, the third step is to BE the person you want to be right now. A vision can help you understand the characteristics of the person you want to become. Do you want to be brave? Take steps to practice bravery, even in small things. Is your legacy one that inspires? Look for ways to inspire those around you, even if it is simply sending an encouraging message to someone you care about.

One way to take action here is to look at the people you really admire and find out as much as possible about them. Then use them as role models. In even the most mundane situations in your life, think: What would my role model do now? My role models include my coach Hina Khan and Oprah.

Now—go out there and create your vision, face your fears, and be the person in your vision.

What Is Your Vision?

In this coming year, what changes will you make to your life that will take you closer to your vision? What will help you to keep expanding and growing so that you will be even more interesting than you are now? Try these simple steps and repeat them throughout the year to inspire you to take action.

This blog is based on learnings from attending the Expansion Retreat with Hina Khan.