So, you know you need to dream big. You’ve heard me say it and countless others, but what if you don’t even know what your dreams are?

What if you feel stuck?

What if you’re living on autopilot and barely recognise yourself in the mirror right now?

You’re so stuck in the monotony of day to day life – looking after the kids (and everyone else).

You’ve lost your sense of self and can’t even remember what lights you up anymore.

Fear not! I’m here to help!

First up, I want you to grab a gorgeous journal. Something that feels decadent when you’re writing in it. Honestly though, any notepad will do the job, but there’s something special about putting beautiful pen to luxurious paper that makes this process seem so special.

Next, you’re going to journal out your thoughts. Don’t know where to start? I know that blank page can seem daunting, so I’ve got your back beautiful.

Here are a few prompts to help you get started. Choose what feels most comfortable for you and get dreaming!

Prompt 1: A stream of consciousness.

Set a 10 minute timer and just get that pen on the paper and start writing. Don’t think! Just write and write continuously. Write whatever comes out.

DO NOT CENSOR. DO NOT EDIT. Do not stop until that timer goes off.

This is a powerful way to get things out of your head onto paper. This may bring up some things you didn’t expect or that feel uncomfortable.

Keep going.

This is a powerful exercise to get you in the motion of journaling.

Now, when the 10 minutes are up, if you’ve still got more, keep on going until you feel you have everything out you need to write down at this moment.

Once you’ve completed the writing, read back through the notes you’ve made and look for themes. What stands out? What seems to be important to you? What’s triggering you right now?

Take these themes and explore further.

For example, I often find by doing this exercise that something that has been bothering me surfaces – even if I didn’t realise it. Despite being a creative and communicator, in the past, I’ve often stifled my thoughts and not communicated the way I would have like and this has shown up in my journaling.

This made me realise I needed to speak up more, say or write what’s on my mind and even tap into what’s bothering me and address the issue or person I needed to.

See what comes up for you and look at what action you need to take to help you move forward.

Prompt 2: Write a list of what you love to do.

Write down a list of what you love doing – even if you’re not doing it right now. For example, do you love to read, but don’t find the time?

Do you love horse riding, but take your kids to lessons instead of hopping on the horse yourself?

Do you wish you had more time to spend with your girlfriends or husband or building a community?

Write down everything. Again, no censoring. Write until you’ve exhausted all the ideas in your head and nothing else is coming up.

Look through your ideas and again, search for any themes that occur.

Prompt 3: Write down all the things you don’t like doing.

Write down all the things you don’t like doing. Hate housework (don’t we all)? Write it down!

Not happy with the way your relationship with your spouse is going? Write it down!

Wish you had more time to work on yourself? Write it down!

Now, from this list, you can start to work out ways you can address these issues. Without knowing your starting point, you won’t know which direction to head.

Prompt 4: What did you love doing as a child?

Often those things we used to spend hours on are the things we still deep down love to do, but have put them off as other life priorities get in the way.

One of my main things was writing. I loved writing and being creative as a kid, but as I grew older, my writing became my career and a way to pay the bills.

That’s amazing, yes, but it took a lot of the fun and creativity out of it, which were the reasons I loved it in the first place. It took me a LONG time to realise this and to incorporate writing for fun back into my life, but I did it and I feel super fulfilled when I do this now.

What did you love to do that you don’t do anymore? Is it time to let that go entirely or to revisit it?

Prompt 5: Explore.

Explore. Don’t feel restricted by these prompts. If you have ideas or if these prompts have unlocked things inside you that you want to explore, go for it! There are no rules or limits on what you can do and how far you can take this.

By the end of this process, you should have some clear themes and ideas for your goals.

Going back to my writing realisation, I set a goal to write a book – something I’d wanted to do since childhood, but had let slip to the back of my mind. And guess what? After setting the goal, I took action and I actually achieved it! I wrote a freaking book!

So, now you have your goals, what’s the next step?

Check out these blogs for inspiration:

Why you need to take action

Five steps to visualisation success

Your dreams and goals matter