What Does Your Dream Life Look Like?

Dream life. Two words that used to make me picture someone tossing cash in the air next to a sports car. Spoiler alert: that's not it! At least it’s not for me.

When I finally sat with these two words, I realized that my dream life was about true contentment. And it's completely within reach! I like that there's no magic number or luxury milestone required.

So instead I want to ask you something more down-to-earth.

How do you want to spend your time?

Not how you look. Not where you vacation once a year. A day in the life of you. That's where your real dream life either exists…or doesn't.

We’re going to get into what YOUR version looks like, because it's probably way more personal (and way more exciting) than driving a super expensive sports car.

No shade if that's your thing, but that's not what I’m focusing on here!

Why not Monday? Well, because Monday usually has a lot going on! So I’m skipping it.

Alrighty….it’s Tuesday. You wake up. What time is it? Are you rushing out the door or do you have a minute to drink your coffee while it's still hot (or iced with a yummy drizzle of caramel on top)?

Are you working? If so, from where? Is it something you want to be doing, or is it...meh?

Who's around? Are your kids home? Are you alone? Are you on a video call with someone you like working with?

What does the middle of your day look like? Do you have time to take a walk, run an errand without stressing, or eat lunch sitting down?

And now on to the evening. Who are you with? What are you doing? How do you feel when you get into bed?

I know, I know, I’m asking a lot of questions for a Tuesday. But this is where we need to focus. A regular day.

If you can picture that Tuesday and it sounds good to you, then we’re heading in the right direction.

What’s not in your dream life?

Sometimes I find that it's easier to figure out what I want by getting clear on what I’m done with.

Maybe it's a commute. A boss who micromanages you. Always saying yes to things you don't want to do. And perhaps to things you shouldn’t say yes to.

Being the only one who remembers to buy toilet paper. If you live solo, I don’t think you have much of a choice…

Getting stressed out every time you open your banking app. Feeling like your time belongs to everyone else in the world but you.

If you’re into journaling, you might want to use these prompts to help you narrow things down a bit.

What would I do with my time if money wasn't a factor?

What part of my current life do I want to keep exactly as it is?

What do I want to stop doing completely?

What does a really good, normal day look like for me?

What do I want more of? Less of?

Seriously, it’s worth thinking through these.

Now here's where we get a little more structured. But I promise it’s not a homework assignment! Think of it more like a checklist that you're running through with a friend over coffee. Which I definitely recommend, yum!

Your dream life is a bunch of areas that either work together or work against each other. And when you look at all of them, you start to see where the gaps are.

This is a big one and most people start with it. Are you doing work that you at least mostly enjoy? Work that uses your brain in a good way? And on the money side, are you making enough to stop holding your breath every time you need to pay a bill?

You’ll notice that nowhere in this post am I saying that your dream life means you have to be rich. But it probably means not being financially stressed all the time. That's a normal, valid thing to want.

This one is underestimated, until you find that you don't have any left. In your dream life, you have some say in how your days go. You're not always being pulled by everyone else's schedules, demands, and emergencies from the second you wake up.

Even tiny chunks of time that belong to you, a quiet morning before the house wakes up, an afternoon with zero meetings, can completely change how your life is day to day.

Who's in your corner? In your dream life, those around you are the ones you want to be around. That means friendships that go both ways, a partner who's fully on your team (if that's part of your picture), and family dynamics that enrich you.

All too often the answer to this question is, “I’m fine.” I’m guilty of this too! It’s like a knee-jerk reaction.

But let’s go deeper. Do you have enough energy to enjoy your life? Can you get through the day without running on fumes and caffeine? (well, some coffee is just good for you!) Do you sleep ok?

I’d imagine that it’s hard to enjoy your dream life if you're exhausted all the time.

Your home. Your neighborhood. The city (or town, or vast countryside out in the middle of nowhere) you wake up in every day.

It’s a tall order to love every single inch of where you live, but your home environment does affect your mood, your stress levels, and your overall quality of life. Is where you are working for your life right now?

I’d say this is your anchor. What do you believe? What keeps you going when things get hard? What connects you to something far bigger than your to-do list?

It might be church, prayer, or a strong sense of purpose. This area shapes how you see everything else, so definitely include this in the picture.

You are your own unique self and have been ever since you were born. Instead of turning into a completely different person (which I don’t recommend), are you learning things? Growing? Becoming someone you respect? Someone you love?

I know, we went a bit deep here, but that’s the idea. You just got clear on what your dream life looks like and the areas worth focusing on. That's your foundation.

Next up, we're going into what gets in the way of living your dream life, and what to do about it.

Think it’s only due to a lack of desire? Find out here! I think you're going to find it pretty eye-opening…