Building a Great Life ... A Step at a Time

Got a great life already? Then you probably don’t need to be here. But if you'd like to add a little more "dazzle" to your life, here are five simple suggestions.

Stay in the moment.
Whatever paths you choose on the way to the life you're after, anchor yourself in today. Right here is where the action is; right now is when it happens. Every stage of your life’s journey unfolds in the Now.

So, if your head lives mainly in some other time or place, you're pretty much blowing off today. Want to be happy? Then be happy now instead of when your dreams come true. Be happy now instead of focusing on yesterday or tomorrow. Have a great life NOW.

The sweet little bird called “Here” sits right in your hand, and so does “Now.” But if you pay no attention to them, they fly away. Too bad, because they can be a lot of fun to have around. Handy, too.

Raise your sights (and expectations).
Want a great life? Then, think Big. Go for what you really want, instead of settling for what you think you can have. When it comes to the "end" goal (or what you think it is), keep an expansive view.

And, yes: small steps can be a superb vehicle, as can small interim goals. But the Big One should be the one that lies in your heart. Put your focus there instead of on some fall-back choice that won't make "waves."(Check out the Windfall Game) if you'd like some help thinking bigger.

Say Yes to yourself more often, too. You may be saying No oftener than you realize—sometimes before you’ve even asked the “question.” Many do. But the automatic NO eventually begins to crush the spirit. Why do that to yourself (or anyone else)?

So, whenever you feel that kind of No coming on, ask yourself what one thing you can do right now that would get you closer to whatever you want.

Then, do it. In that way, you open the doors to your heart's desire instead of slamming those same doors in your face. [To weaken the automatic NO, try sticking a Yes! on your wall or into your computer's screen-saver for a while. Click here to find two colorful and free versions.]

Get clear about what you really want.
How much “good stuff” has come into your life when you’ve just left things to chance? Some, maybe, just by the law of averages. But unless you know what you actually want, you can't be proactive; you can't go after it yourself. So, if you want a great life, figure out what would do that for you.

There’s something else operating here, too. Without clarity about your own desires, you may live your life largely “inside” the lives or dreams of other people. You know who: spouses or significant others, children, parents, grandparents—employers!

And they may put very little thought toward what you want. That kind of thinking is really your job, anyway. How could anybody else get it right? So, if you don't know for sure what you do want, figure it out. To get a little help with that, check out our free course.

For one thing, one or two of those ducks may never show up. So work with a duck you’ve already got. Take the step. Just do one thing, however slight, to get yourself closer to what you want. That will lead you to another step…and another. (Click this link to read about a simple way to build a great life using small steps.)

If you never begin, you stay more or less where you are at this moment. Maybe that suits you now, but how will you feel next year? Or the year after that? Want something different? Then start taking the steps. And please don't start "measuring" your progress right away. Give yourself a chance.

Hang in there.
Change can be difficult and goals elusive. At such times, we may become discouraged or even lose heart. But before you give up on a goal or dream, do just one more thing—take one more step. Do something, however modest, that moves you along.

Far more important than how much you do at a given moment is that you simply do it—consistently. Daily steps nearly always whip sporadic efforts, however ambitious or even frenzied.

If the goal seems overwhelming, move down to the micro level. Break the project into components. Then lay out the steps for each one, every single thing you can think of that needs to be done within each of those components.

In that way, you create a map through the forest. Then, by tackling one “tree” at a time, you begin working your way to the other side. Sometimes it’s the only way to get there.

Ready to start tackling trees yourself? Could be small steps are the way to go. For something like this, they'll serve you way better than a chain saw. (And that's a promise.) Just do one thing, then another and another—and see the surprising places those steps can take you. (Like maybe to a great life—or one that's even greater than the one you have at this moment.)

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