Steps for Creating the life YOU Want

This article says in a very simple way things we know but sometimes we need to listen and put all of this back in our minds...

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!

( Jack Canfield )