The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.
– Helen Keller
Most people think external things will give them happiness. Graduate from college. Get a good job. Get married. Have kids.
The problem: these milestones that we learn from society won’t automatically leave you fulfilled.
I know this personally because I went to law school because I was expected to. I passed the bar and got a good paying job. But I didn’t like what I was doing at all. I knew I wanted more. Life is too short to spend it doing something I hate. So, I started a blog – Financegirl. This led to me quitting practicing law and pursuing a career as a financial planner. Now, I get to write, blog, and help people manage their money. I’m doing things in line with the vision I have for my life.
I promise that you can have this, too. You can have a more fulfilling life. You can have a great life.
What You Need to Do
I hear from people all the time that they don’t know what’s next or what to do to have a more fulfilling life. Things are just “okay”. Life is kind of blah. They have everything they thought they wanted, but they’re not exactly fulfilled.
If this is you, you can absolutely do something to change this. The first step to make a change to live a more fulfilling life is to define your vision. I wrote about this in my post Goals vs. Vision last year, and I was reminded of this after listening to Michael Hyatt interview Lewis Howes on his podcast. Lewis just launched The School of Greatness that is now already a New York Times bestseller. I highly recommend reading this book as a starting point on your personal development journey (you can find my other book recommendations here).
I have a vision and I’m living it. I quit my career as an attorney and now I’m a financial planner, blogger, and freelance writer. I love what I do. I feel “on purpose”. The good news is that you can, too.
How to Create A Vision for Your Life
The first step toward fulfillment and purpose (or greatness as Lewis Howes calls it) is to define a vision for yourself. A vision is what you see in your future. It’s not a specific goal. A goal is what you do to take steps to move toward your vision. Your vision is your why. It’s your values and your purpose in life. Your vision is what keeps you excited and motivated.
If you don’t know what you want in life, that’s okay. But that’s where you should start. You need to figure out what you want. Otherwise, you are just reacting to what comes your way. You’re wandering. Try something — anything. Just get started. You can always change your vision. The point is to be intentional so that you’re creating the life you want and not living someone else’s.
By creating a vision for yourself, by defining what you want in life, you are on your way to fulfillment – you’re on your way to greatness.
Practically speaking, start by writing down your vision. There is such power in writing. I tell people this all the time. It has worked wonders for me. I write down my goals, my plans, and I also journal. Writing gives my thoughts a reality that wouldn’t otherwise exist. So, if you want to make a positive change toward more fulfillment, start by writing down your vision.
After you write down your vision, you can move on to creating goals that align with your vision (I’m not talking about creating goals in this post, but you can learn how to create goals here).
What to Do If You Don’t Know What to Do
If you don’t know what you want in life, there is no quick answer I can give you. But I know for certain that doing something to get you started will move you out of your comfortable “blah” state and into a better place where you can get closer to knowing what you want. So, try these three tips…
- Read personal development books (start with The School of Greatness)
- Listen to podcasts (Michael Hyatt’s “This is Your Life” is a good place to start)
- Journal daily (write down anything – thoughts, what happened during your dey, etc.)
These are small actions that you can take to help you get started. Once you start moving, you will begin to figure out what’s working and what’s not. By growing, learning, and thinking about your life, you will learn what fulfills you. Once you know what you want, write down your vision and start living it.
A Final Note!
To achieve personal fulfillment (i.e. greatness), you have to start by learning how to create a life vision. What matters most to you? What fulfills you personally (not what other people want for you)? Decide to commit to a vision, first and foremost. Then live it.
I know that you’re worth more than a “blah” life. You can have true fulfillment and achieve greatness that knows no bounds. Now go, do it! 
