7 Steps For Creating The Life YOU Want

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7 Steps for Creating the Life

YOU Want
April 16, 2014 by Jack Canfield 34 Comments

We all aspire to do, be and


have great things. Yet most of us simply aren't creating the results we want. We complain that
we don't have enough money, romance, success or joy in our lives.

We point fingers and blame outside problems that "happen" to us and make life more difficult.
But what we need to understand and keep at the forefront of our minds is that greatness exists in
all of us. It is simply up to us to pull it out of ourselves. Regardless of personal circumstances,
economic climates, and access to resources, it helps to maintain faith in the fact we each are
more powerful than we think.

We all have the ability to create the life we want. We just need to learn how to do it. Is there an
exact "formula"? No, but there are certain common features that successful people exhibit and
that anyone can practice. They are what can jumpstart your success and attract what you want in
life. You'd be hard pressed to find any high achiever who doesn't live by the following 7 tips:

1. Take No Less than 100% Responsibility for


Your Life
One of the greatest myths that is pervasive in our culture today is that you are entitled to a great
life and that somehow, somewhere, someone is responsible for filling our lives with continual
happiness, exciting career options, nurturing family time and blissful personal relationships
simply because we exist. But the real truth is that there is only one person responsible for the
quality of the life you live. That person is you.

Everything about you is a result of your doing or not doing. Income. Debt. Relationships. Health.
Fitness level. Attitudes and behaviors. That person who reflects back at you in the mirror is the
chief conductor in your life. Say hello!

I think everyone knows this in their hearts, but the mind can play games, tricking plenty of
people into thinking external factors are the source of failure, disappointment, and unhappiness.
But the truth of the matter is that external factors don't determine how you live. You are in
complete control of the quality of your life.

Successful people take full responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images they visualize,
and the actions they take. They don't waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They
evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the
uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.

2. Be Clear Why You're Here


I believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging and honoring this
purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take. They take the time to
understand what they're here to do, and then they pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.

If you don't know what you're supposed to be doing, then just tune in to the signals around you.
Looking toward others for help and guidance is helpful, but don't forget to stay tuned in to
yourself—your behavior, attitude, likes and dislikes, and life experiences. Identify what's
working and what isn't. If you need to, write it all down. You might be surprised by what you
discover.

3. Decide What You Want


It sounds so simple, but here's the problem: I see plenty of people who are overly-busy yet who
feel unsatisfied and unfulfilled. They are physically tired, spiritually drained, and far from where
they'd like to be—as if they've been running on a treadmill going nowhere fast. Why? Because
they haven't clearly mapped out what they want and then taken the steps to get there. Rather than
identifying specific goals, milestones, and dreams (and I'm talking BIG dreams and goals here),
they go through the motions day in and day out tackling unimportant tasks. They end up...you
guessed it...going in circles and wasting lots of energy. In the meanwhile, they grow increasingly
uninspired and out of touch with their authentic selves. This, of course, sets anyone up to living a
life out of balance.

One of the main reasons why most people don't get what they want is they haven't decided what
they want. They haven't defined their desires in clear and compelling detail. What does success
look like to you? Not everybody's definition of success is the same, nor should it be.

Don't let your inner devil's advocate (or that incessant but unimportant To Do list) inhibit you
from dreaming big. As soon as you commit to a big dream and really go after it, your
subconscious creative mind will come up with big ideas to make it happen. You'll start attracting
the people, resources, and opportunities you need into your life to make your dream come true.
Big dreams not only inspire you, but they also compel others to want to play big, too.

4. Believe It Is Possible
Scientists used to believe that humans responded to information flowing into the brain from the
outside world. But today, they're learning that instead we respond to what the brain, based on
previous experience, expects to happen next. In fact, the mind is such a powerful instrument; it
can deliver literally everything you want. But you have to believe that what you want is possible.

As you commit to believing in yourself, also make a commitment to toning down the complaint
department. Look at what you are complaining about. I'm fat. I'm tired. I can't get out of debt. I
won't ever get a better job. I can't stand the relationship I have with my father. I'll never find a
soulmate in life. Really examine your complaints. More than likely you can do something about
them. They are not about other people, other things, or other events. They are about YOU.

5. Believe in Yourself
If you are going to be successful in creating the life of your dreams, you have to believe that you
are capable of making it happen. Whether you call it self-esteem, self-confidence or self-
assurance, it is a deep-seated belief that you have what it takes; the abilities, inner resources,
talents and skills to create your desired results.

Have unwavering faith in yourself, for good and bad. Make the decision to believe that you
create all your experiences. You will experience successes thanks to you, and you will
experience pain, struggle, and strife thanks to you. Sounds a little strange, but accepting this
level of responsibility is uniquely empowering. It means you can do, change, and be anything.
Stumbling blocks become just that—little hills to hop over.

6. Become an Inverse Paranoid


This one is straightforward: Imagine how much easier it would be to succeed in life if you were
constantly expecting the world to support you and bring you opportunity. Successful people do
just that.

7. Unleash the Power of Goal Setting


Experts on the science of success know the brain is a goal-seeking organism. Whatever goal you
give to your subconscious mind, it will work day and night to achieve. To engage you
subconscious mind, a goal has to be measurable. When there aren't any criteria for measurement,
it is simply something you want, a wish, a preference, or a good idea.

Sometimes we need to make just one initial goal to get started, and that's okay. At least it comes
with a few actions to achieve. A first step simply can be making an immediate change in a single
area in your life. Are you unhappy about something that is happening right now? Make requests
that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change
might be uncomfortable and overwhelming for you. It might mean you have to put in more time,
money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it, or makes you feel bad about
your decision. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice
so why continue to complain? You can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and
you have responsibility for your choices.
Bear in mind that you have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different
outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want. If you've
already taken an initial step in the right direction, now's the time to plan more steps to keep
moving you forward faster.

Isn't it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn't it
wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?

So if you need just one thing to do different today than you did yesterday, make it this: Commit
to taking 100% responsibility for every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a
time. Once you start the process you'll discover it is much easier to get what you want by taking
control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!

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