Before I can tell you how I redesigned my reality in six steps, I need to preface that my success in that regard was heavily influenced by my understanding and belief that the “Universe” wasn’t “out to get me,” and, on the contrary, that my past and present were working in tandem to support me in my journey forward. Imagine the universe is an entity like the fictitious “fairy godmother” character: a warm and bubbly grandmother-like woman who showers us with unexpected rewards and helps guide us toward making the right decisions. All cutesiness aside, this is how I learned to believe that life and the Universe (generally) helps push us in a positive direction. And I used this whimsical belief system, along with six valuable steps from the wise author Napoleon Hill, to redesign my reality so that it matched my vision.
The whimsical Universe…
I believe that throughout life we’re all given gifts, opportunities, and ideas that fill us with inspiration, purpose, and vision. We’re also given crappy moments and circumstances that weigh us down. But here is the super-important notion that I want to share: throughout our lives opportunities, relationships and circumstances always strategically fall into place in such a way that they mold our personalities and nudge our actions in a certain direction. And I’m not just referring to good opportunities, relationships, and circumstances; I’m also referring to the bad ones. And there is an undeniable and constant undercurrent of movement. These good and bad experiences ebb and flow, creating the motion needed for growth and progression, and it’s in and from THESE moments that the Universe shifts your direction and opens you to new opportunities. The key is to make yourself available enough to follow and receive them.
The six steps that defeated my stagnancy…
The Universe gave me many wonderful and horrible experiences that didn’t make much sense beyond the surface. But when I realized that my reality didn’t match the vision of life that I wanted for myself, and I knew I had become stagnant in my efforts and unavailable to the possibilities, I decided it was time to make some changes and finally become open to what could be. It was only when I committed to change and started actively pursuing it that I reflected on my past and saw how my Universe “fairy godmother” had led me through all those experiences to build me up to this moment.
But I needed tools. And a plan. How does one properly “awaken” from such a passive state and then actively pursue a new possibility with *any* kind of grace? I turned to one of my favorite books on success, one I’ve treasured for years, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich.
In it Hill describes six steps to achieve what you desire, and these steps helped me harness my existing undercurrent of movement and design a reality that aligned with my goals. This is what I want to share with you in hopes that it will help you move forward too (if you’re open to it).
Hill’s Six Steps to Achieve Any Desire (Paraphrased):
- Get super definite about what you want and fix it into your mind.
- Determine what you intend to give or sacrifice in order to achieve your desire. (Can’t get something for nothing.)
- Establish a deadline by which you want your desire achieved. (Halfway points or “thresholds” are helpful to monitor progress.)
- Create a solid plan to carry out the desire and start right away, even if you’re not ready. (Things are rarely achieved by waiting until you’re“ready.”)
- Write out your “statement of commitment” (or SOC, as I’ll call it). This is a concise contract with yourself stating what you want, what you’re willing to sacrifice, the action plan, and the timeline for achieving your desire.
- Read your SOC daily to keep the mission at the forefront of your thoughts and actions until you’ve achieved your stated desire. This will keep you on track.
Using these steps is what helped me really commit to leaving my beloved but limited and all-too-familiar home county in Massachusetts, where I’d spent my whole life, and move to colorful and energetic South Florida, so that I could finally become the version of myself that I felt I could only obtain elsewhere. YOU can use these steps, and your existing undercurrent of movement and experiences from the Universe, to help you achieve whatever it is that you desire—more money, a new job, a healthier lifestyle, a relocation, anything! If your life right now doesn’t look the way you want it to, take action!
Please share! If you know someone that needs a life redesign or just a little encouragement, please share this with them!