9 Questions to Ask Yourself

When Creating Your Dream Life

When it comes to creating a life you love,  there’s no doubt that it’s going to take some work.  But there’s more to it than that.  

The secret to making your dreams come true is taking the time to get to know yourself. What stories are you telling yourself?  What patterns do you have? What is your unique set of skills and values and passions?

These days it is *so* easy to be influenced by those around us; by what others are doing and by what we’re told we should or shouldn’t do.  

But when you know yourself, and what works for YOU - when you know what it feels like to be aligned (or misaligned), or when your priorities and passions have shifted and you put that out in the universe - that’s when dreams can really fall into place.

You might think you already know yourself, and perhaps you do! BUT knowing ourselves requires lifelong learning and reflection, because as humans we are always evolving.  Unfortunately, there’s no point in time when you can say “okay! I learned it all! Everything is perfect and will be forever!”  So, when is the last time you really, truly, checked in with yourself?  

If you’re ready to check in, here are some questions to ponder as you get to know yourself and your needs and desires when it comes to creating a life and career you love. 

What do I value?

In a world where we have eyes on others so often, specifically their *best* moments (hi, social media), it can be hard to not compare your life to others and be tempted to work harder at making your life “better.”  But what does “better” even mean, for YOU? Take some time to journal and think about what is important to you to help yourself rule out what you know you don’t want in your life, and call in what you do.  For example, do you value collaborating with others often?  If so, a remote job that requires you to meet deadlines on your own and have little interactions with a team, is probably not going to align with you, no matter how many people you see loving their lives working this way on social media.

What brings me joy?

“You cannot judge what should bring others joy, and others cannot judge what should bring you joy.” — Alan Cohen.  Similar to above, only you know what truly brings you joy, and only you have the power to add more of it to your life.  Who cares what others are doing.  Are YOU happy? Great.  Are you not?  What do you need to make more space for?  What are you naturally curious and excited about?  Make more time for it, and watch how it can lead you to some amazing places in your personal and professional endeavors.

What’s my prime time?

Me? I do my best work early.  So, when I have a task to complete that might be challenging or the thing I am least excited about, I schedule it for early in the day.  Getting it done (or partly done!) empowers me for the rest of my day AND I know I’ll do better work at that time.  Maybe this is the same for you, maybe you are a night owl, or maybe you’re not sure yet.  Spend some time figuring it out and saving the most important tasks for that time!

What is a priority to me?

Traveling the world?  Staying home with your babies?  Retiring at 35?  Joining a circus?  Only YOU know (and back to number 2 - no one can judge you for it … and if they do, this is your one and only life so who cares what they think and prioritize what YOU want and need!).  Figure out what’s a priority, and figure out when the best time to do it is!

How can I focus on ONE thing at a time?

Take it from the multi-task master herself - it doesn’t work.  As much as I love it, and as much as I do it, I know that when my mind is scattered on multiple tasks at once, it’s harder to hone in on doing something well, and knowing if I even enjoy what I’m doing.  OR if I’m feeling flustered and misaligned, it’s harder to know what’s causing it!  Restating the fact that this is your one and only life, and you may be very multi passionate (hi, #itme) BUT it’s still a good idea to bring your focus to one thing at a time as much as possible. 

What do I want to delegate and who can I ask?

Once you know what is a priority to you, you can figure out what you might need taken off your hands in order to focus on that priority.  This can be big and broad, like you want to take a course so you need to find help with xy and z, or something smaller like, your business is thriving and you need more time with clients so you want help with your marketing or admin task (hi, I got you!)

Am I taking enough breaks? 

SPACE FOR JOY.  Linking that blog here for anyone who missed it.  It goes into more detail but the gist is - even if you’re working on your dream business, you NEED breaks to get recharged and inspired. 

How can I time block or plan my week?

Whether it’s joy or work, it needs a place in your schedule.  Time blocking is not a one-size-fits all! I like to use a project management system called Asana to plan out my various projects for work and fun, and keep track of my weekly tasks (and yes, I time block in fun stuff and breaks!).  This might work for you, or maybe you like to use your google calendar, a physical calendar, your notes app, or a simple paper to-do list each day that you make in the morning or the night before. 

How can I keep learning?

I might be more obsessed with learning than the average person… but truly there are sooo many avenues to go down to learn more about a topic you might be interested in. General Assembly, Udemy, to name a few, never mind countless courses and blogs you can find online.  If something is piquing your curiosity, make it your priority to schedule time in your day (see what I did there?!)  to learn about it and see where it takes you!

To sum up, when you make space to ask yourself the above questions, you enable the mindset of “if not this, something BETTER.”

Whether it’s organizing your ideas, setting up a project, a calendar, or taking another administrative or creative task off your plate while you zone in on what lights YOU up, I am always here to help!

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