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As a kid, I indulged in games. Then, life happened.
Everything became more serious. I then got my first job.
Work was fun... for a while. After a few years in different positions, I ended up in a rut.
I worked long hours in a stressful environment. The job wasn't fulfilling or fun. I was exhausted.
At the week-end, I wasn't mentally present with my wife. Our relationship got tense.
I had to stop and reflect. I asked myself the following questions:
- What do I want in life?
- What excites me?
- What cause am I ready to fight for?
I figured out that having fun, playing and taking life as a game was important to me. Also, I was ready to fight for everyone's freedom to explore and control their life.
There and then, I decided to design a life that would excite me. I started a process of exploration and trial. Here are the steps I took.
If you follow this process, you will be able to find what excites you and then, redesign your life.
1. What excites you?
The more you practice a skill, the better you get at it. When you stop using that skill, you will revert back to normal.
Your brain is plastic, it adapts to your needs. This changes you.
Here’s how it works:
As your perceive the world through your brain, a change in its structure can shift your perspective. In short, if you have stopped doing what excites you, your connection to those things will weaken. The good news is: you can re-awaken them.
To find out what excites you, you need introspection.
Look inside yourself to retrieve what has been laying dormant. Go back to your childhood:
- What did you do when you were 10 years old that you could spend hours on?
Write down what you find, as many activities as you can remember.
Don't worry if some activities sound silly, just write them down. Your adult brain is judgmental, so you need to stop it from judging if you want to re-awaken your passion.
Spend as much time as you need. Get your list.
2. Explore
Pure introspection is only the starting point. It provides your canvas. Now, you need to start painting.
Painting means doing, exploring.
I naively thought I could find my passion by thinking things through. I was dead wrong.
Fortunately, I then took action and started exploring. I approach exploring like a role-playing game. I experiment with different roles and quests until I find what gives me a kick.
Exploration is how you transform a concept into a product. When you find you love games, how do you bring it into your life, past the playing part?
This is the best part:
I started exploring by writing articles about Virtual Reality. Through this experience, I discovered I could use my learning and analysis skills to help people. This is what I am doing right now.
The gaming part hasn't disappeared. I am always figuring out how I can use my gaming experience to help people create the lifestyle they want.
Once you have ideas that excite you, start exploring. Try things out, even if some of it might seem crazy to you now.
You will have to face your fears and do what is uncomfortable. In discomfort, you'll learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of.
As you explore, your perspective will change. You'll start becoming a different person.
3. Change yourself
When your activities excite you, staying disciplined becomes much easier: your motivation is high. As you start focusing on those activities, your habits will change.
You will get rid of the habits you don't need and build new ones. And, progressively, you will emerge as a different person.
You will have become the person you need to be to pursue your passion.
4. Become a leader
John Quincy Adams said: "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
It's time to inspire others to follow your lead.
I tend to over-think. I spend a lot of time researching data and analyzing everything. But, I have learned to take action.
Reflecting should always be a part of your journey and life. But reflection without action is meaningless.
It's time to take action. Stop putting off and do what excites you. Become a leader.
5. Sculpt your life
Anyone can achieve incredible feats and live an inspiring life, if they let themselves pursue their vision.
Nothing happens overnight, but if you focus on improving a little bit every day, in the end you will get where you want to be.
Find what excites you. Define your mission. Keep sculpting your life. Dream big and become an inspiration.
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Antoine Ribordy is a blogger on Dream Set Achieve. His mission is to teach people how they can redesign their lives and do what excites them. His results-focused approach is based on lessons from neuroscience and psychology and best practices in coaching and learning. Check out his free guide: 5 steps to escape a boring life, get rapid results and architect your future.
The post 5 Difficult Yet Surefire Steps to Lead an Exciting Life appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.