In June 2005, I had recently returned from a six month trip to Toronto where I had been training in the headquarters dojo of our martial arts federation. I had completed my post-graduate studies and had little money to my name. I decided that it was time I properly considered what I wanted my life to be like.

If you would like to know how to create an inspiring vision for your future, that fills you with excitement and enthusiasm every time you read or think about it, then this post is for you.

That day, I created a vision for my future. Just a few years later, I was lying in a pool in Bali, looking up at a crystal clear night sky and reflecting on my vision. It struck me how close my life was to the vision I had created. It felt incredible!

Here are the four steps to follow to create an amazingly compelling vision for your future. Once this is formed, it will inspire you to take actions that will bring it into being and fill you with so much positive energy, you won’t know what to do with it all.

1. Pick a time in the future.

It can be 5, 10, 20 years in the future, it’s completely up to you. Most people find 10 years a good place to start. Shorter time frames can limit what we conceive is possible.

2. Brainstorm the components of your ideal life.

Your ideal life is a life that you love in every aspect. Love is the key word, not ‘like’, not ‘satisfied with’, ‘love’. When you think about the lengths we go to for those we love, it is fair to say that love is the most powerful motivating force in the universe. You are going to use it to create your dream life.

You may wish to structure your ideas in a mindmap around the following seven areas (adapted from Dr John Demartini):

1. Personal

* Character. What sort of person are you? How would those who know you well describe you? For example, peaceful, friendly, understanding, fearless.
* Physical. What is your physical health like? For example, muscular, slim, fit.
* Mental. What knowledge have you acquired? For example, Hypnosis, Nutrition, Phd in Education.

2. Work / Career / Vocation. What do you do for money? Do you work full time, part time, or on a casual as needed basis?

3. Social. What is your social life like? Do you have a big social group or a just a few close friends? Do you attend lots of parties or dinners? What contributions do you make to society as a whole?

4. Family. Are you married, with a life partner or single? What is your partner like? Do you have kids? What are they like?

5. Material. What possessions do you have? One house, ten houses? What are they like? Where are they?

6. Financial. How much money do you have? Are you very wealthy? Do you just have enough to give you freedom to do whatever you want to do?

7. Spiritual. What is your perspective on spirituality? Do you follow a certain religious practice?

Sometimes a useful starting point is to imagine how a perfect day would look for you, from start to finish. Then work out from that. But see what feels most natural for you.

There are a couple of very important things to remember whilst doing this exercise:

a) The first is to make sure you are not concerned with the ‘how’. This stage is all about the ‘what’. The ‘how’ comes later. Allow yourself to return to a child like state, where anything is possible. Imagine you have been given the opportunity to determine your future reality in every detail.

b) Enjoy it! Get right into the flow of the experience and once your imagination is fired up, keep going until you have finished.

3. Create a narrative piece.

Now you have brainstormed the key elements of your vision transform it into a narrative piece.

Be as descriptive and as thorough as possible. Include your feelings. Create a vivid picture in your mind and describe your vision in such a way that by reading it, someone else would be able to see it in their mind just as you do. For example:

‘I have a wonderful garden that has a marble fountain as its centrepiece. It is defined by magnificent evergreen trees that are vibrant in colour all year round. When I look out at my garden I really get a sense of the beauty of nature.’

4. Give it the WOW factor.

Read through your vision again and make sure that each aspect has the ‘WOW’ factor. That is, make sure  that you can honestly say that if it was true, you would have no other way to react than ‘WOW’. If you come across any part of your vision that is just a ‘that would be really neat’ or ‘that would be nice’, it needs an upgrade.

Ask yourself this question ‘How could this be better?’ or ‘How would this have to be in order for it to make me go WOW’. Keep asking it until you can’t think of any way that it can be better. A good indicator of whether you are there or not, is to see if you have a big stupid grin on your face. If not, find out what will put one on there.

The initial brainstorm normally takes at least an hour, so ensure you allow yourself enough time to complete it. I suggest you go somewhere where you will not be disturbed so you can immerse yourself in the process and stay in the flow.

The process is transformative. It is remarkable how much of a difference taking this single step can make. If you are serious about making your ideal life a reality, then you need to have an inspiring vision.

Have you got a clear vision of your future? Please share how it has impacted your life in the comments below.