But those big dreams of the beautiful life and career you envision are not just attainable by an elite few. They might feel out of your grasp, but it’s probably closer than you even know.

If you’re here, I can bet that one of your core values is freedom. If I’ve nailed this, keep reading; this blog is for you.

Life isn’t meant to be spent working 9-5 for someone or something that doesn’t light you up. And no, it is not a pipe dream to go after a life and a job that lights you up, that you’re passionate about and that you love.

The school system was made to shape future employees. We think it’s normal to work these hours and types of jobs and do what we are told because we’ve literally been taught by the education system and our parents and grandparents, who also were in this system, that it’s the normal way. 

But many people are realizing that standard 9-5, corporate, government or other jobs are not giving us what they need. They either need to change or small businesses are going to start taking over.

If you’re in a “great” job right now but your feeling called for something more, or to spend time with your babies, or just to have more freedom (preach) — but people in your life think you are crazy to walk away from something so cushy; YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

When I started my business, even my best friend fought me adamantly to not leave my “stable” job (which is funny because I have a Behaviour Interventionist doing 1-2 hour sessions with 2-3 kiddos a day for $15 an hour. Tell me how stable that is).

But you’re breaking the mold, and people don’t “get it.”

That’s ok, though, because while they are working their jobs that make them feel secure (and potentially miserable thinking this is what they have to do), you can take a spontaneous vacay during the week or go to a pilates class on Wednesday mornings because you’ve designed your business to support your life and not the other way around.

Your dreams are completely attainable.

Here are 7 steps for realistically designing the life of your dreams:

 

1. Define Your Vision

Getting clear on your dreams is the first and arguably the most important step of the process. Starting here sets the stage for your next steps and gives you a clear path to moving forward. The next steps require you to know what you’re aiming for.

Make sure when you’re defining the vision for your dreams, you don’t shortchange yourself. You want a clear vision that’s big enough that it’s exciting to chase and lights you up, but not completely unattainable, like, “I want to make a million dollars in a week.” 

Try these tips to help you create a clearly defined vision for your dreams:

1. Do some self-reflection: Reflect on your values, passions and what truly matters to you.
2. Identify your core areas: Define key life areas like career, relationships, health, and personal growth.
3. Visualize your ideal life: Imagine specific scenarios and environments in detail.
4. Create a vision board: Use images and quotes to visually represent your goals.
5. Review Regularly: Periodically review and update your vision to reflect growth and evolving aspirations.

And you do not need to sit down and do this in one sitting. Remember, we are making designing the life of your dreams realistic. It’s okay to do these over time whenever you have time.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Now that you have a clear vision of your dreams, you’re better prepared to start setting goals. I like to think of your vision as the end result (even though we never actually finish). It’s your big picture, but it’s not a goal.

When I talk about goals, I’m talking about the milestones you reach along your journey that lead you to your big-picture vision, your ideal life, the life of your dreams.

You may be familiar with SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Based), which is good and can be a logical and effective way to set goals. However, there is a new version of smart goals that can move you toward success in a more aligned and potent way by tapping into NLP practices.

To learn more, check out this blog!

3. Harness the Power of Your Subconscious

Harnessing the power of techniques like Hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Neuro-Emotional Empowerment (NEE), and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can help you reprogram the limiting beliefs that are keeping you from making your dreams your reality and align the subconscious with conscious goals. These methods work by accessing your subconscious mind, where deep-seated beliefs and patterns reside.

• Hypnosis guides you into a relaxed state, making the subconscious more receptive to positive suggestions. 
• NLP uses language and behavioural techniques to reshape your thought patterns and behaviours. 
• NEE taps into and reprograms emotional triggers, transforming your negative emotions into empowering ones. 
• EFT involves tapping on meridian points to release your emotional blocks. 

Together, these techniques help dismantle your self-sabotaging beliefs and replace them with empowering ones. This is a necessary step in this process, as once you have your vision and your goals, the action you take to reach your dreams can be clouded by the beliefs and blocks you have in your subconscious.

If you’re looking for a way to access guided versions of these techniques, check out the Highest Self Academy. Here, we dive deep into reprogramming your beliefs, healing from the inside out and tapping into your subconscious so you can live life on your terms.

These techniques don’t need to take a lot of time. Even a couple of minutes can have a profound impact.

4. Develop a Daily Routine

Once you’ve got your mindset taken care of, it’s time to develop a simple and realistic routine that will get you working toward your goals and the life of your dreams. Your habits do matter. The more you do them, the more they’ll become second nature, ingrained. 

But here’s the thing: Even if we are consciously working on our habits, we have them. If we aren’t conscious of them, we run the risk that they aren’t habits that serve our highest selves and our biggest dreams. We need to become aware of the habits we already have and reflect on whether they are serving that vision that we created previously or if they are holding us back.

We also need to reflect on what habits we would have if we were already living our dreams and we’ve reached the goals we set. Those will form the foundation for the habits we implement. Yes, we do want to add habits that our ideal, future self would be doing to act as if we are already that person.

Here are some common supportive habits you could try:

• Morning visualizations
• Affirmations
• Starting the day with a highly nutritious breakfast
• Mindful eating
• Daily walks
• Supportive exercising
• Journalling practice
• Meditation
• Gratitude practice
• Hydration
• Reading/learning
• Evening reflection

But remember, we are making this a realistic process. You do not need to implement everything all at once or at all. Start with something and work from there. Ask yourself what you can realistically add in or replace in your day that will move the needle forward and be supportive of your dreams.

5. Embrace Flexibility

Life is unpredictable. Many of us wish it weren’t, but there’s really no controlling it (as much as we might try). A lot can happen in the pursuit of going after your goals. Bringing about our dream life is not an overnight process. You need to be prepared for whatever life throws at you along the way.

The universe will always throw you curve balls. There are lessons we all need to learn along our journeys to ensure we are ready for the next step. We need to be able to roll with the punches and stay flexible. 

This really is the pot calling the kettle since flexibility is something I struggle with, but learning to stay flexible and knowing that setbacks are temporary can help you stay the course as you keep working towards your dreams.

Try these tips to adjust your plan and goals if needed:

• Do regular reflections to make sure you’re still heading in the right direction
• Be open to change if an obstacle arises
• Prioritize–Know what your non-negotiables are and what parts of your plan are most important
• Set realistic deadlines and allow for changes along the way
• If you find you’re not reaching your goals, try breaking them down even further for more immediate wins
• Review your why–Keep this as your north star. Remind yourself what your overall dreams are and why that’s important to you

6. Seek Support and Accountability

Community is such an important part of goal achievement and working toward the life of your dreams. Life is busy. We might have jobs, hobbies, kids, kids activities, caregiver responsibilities, and so on. And at the end of our day, it can sometimes feel hard to want to put any effort into this process.

That’s where community comes in.

The people in our lives do their best, but they don’t always understand what we’re doing. Trust me, when I decided to quit my job and start a business, I had lots of little birdies chirping in my ear about what a bad idea it was. Having a supportive community that was also working toward starting online businesses was a lifesaver. They kept me moving forward, and now, six years later, I am thankful to still have a successful business.

They’re also good for keeping things realistic. I am a big dreamer. I want to do everything right now, and that’s just not always possible. A community is good for giving tough love when it’s needed and a good dose of reality (which I have definitely needed along my journey).

The Highest Self Academy is not just about the individual work (even though it is loaded with techniques and lessons for you to work through individually). It also comes with an amazing community of women who are working towards their big dreams and becoming their highest selves.

Right now, we are doing a Healthy Girl Summer challenge within the community, and that chat is life-giving. There’s something so beautiful about women coming together, knowing their worth, and working toward goals in an aligned way.

7. Celebrate Progress

Celebration doesn’t just happen at the end of your journey… because there probably won’t be an end (hence the term, journey). It’s important to acknowledge and celebrate your milestone and goal achievements along the way.

Arguably, the most important part of this process is the small milestones that help you reach your goals and dreams. That’s where the real magic happens. So those need to be celebrated.

It doesn’t have to be some big party or taking yourself for a fancy dinner all the time, but it can be something smaller or even spending time reflecting on the win. You can even create a small ritual around this. Think of something you could realistically include, that makes you feel good, and that will be sure to keep you motivated on moving forward.

Celebrating your progress actually boosts motivation and can act as positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement works even if it doesn’t come from someone else. So make sure you celebrate your wins and your successes (big or small) along the way. This keeps your momentum up, and it doesn’t have to be a big to-do.

Check out this reel on this topic for further motivation to design the life of your dreams!

You have the power to manifest all of your dreams.

It’s about taking the right steps and the right actions that move the needle forward in a realistic way (yes, while it would be great to be able to go and live in Bali for a few months, not work, and just meditate all day while eating fresh local food, that’s just not in the cards for most people). 

That’s why the Highest Self Academy was created as a membership with short techniques that help you heal and strive toward different goals. You can pick and choose what you need, and you only need a couple of minutes.

We want to redefine the way you connect with your goals and reshape your life. We do that by:

• Embracing slower living
• Discovering your true purpose
• Shedding those pesky limiting beliefs
• Unlocking your subconscious power
• Creating a personalized path to growth
• Aligning with your dream life

If you want to effortlessly achieve any goal you set and all your dreams (in a realistic way, check out the Highest Self Academy.