A useful exercise to clarify the vision and goals you're working toward, which I found is inspired by Graham Weaver, is actually quite simple:
You open a blank page where you can write (Apple Notes, Google Docs, Word, whatever). Then, you envision the dream unfolding of your life over the next 3–5 years. You write this as if you are writing the story of your life. It’s all about crafting your life narrative—every decision you make, the things you do, and the things you accomplish.
There are 3 rules for this exercise:
- Write as if you knew you couldn’t fail.
- Write as if no dream, desire, or goal is too bold or too crazy (really dream).
- Be very specific—describe in great detail the things that would need to happen (like hiring a great team or getting funding for your idea), and how they happen.
Why is this exercise so powerful? If you don’t know where you are going, you cannot accomplish it. Writing out your dream as a narrative for your life helps you create clarity and put the pieces together. You move from an unspecific dream life to an actionable plan and narrative for how you can create the life you want.
There’s no specific right or wrong way to do this, as long as you stick to the rules above. When you are done, print it out and put it somewhere you can re-read it every week or so. Then, start taking the first steps in making this visualized narrative of your life a reality.
I come back to this exercise every few months and write it again from scratch. With experience, your dream-lined life will evolve, change, and become more specific. The story you write serves as an orientation for what you should be working on, and how to get there. Now, all that’s left for you to do is sit down, take an hour out of your day, and start writing. This is where all great things get started.