More Than Resolutions: How To Start Living The Life You Want

📸 From the beach in Lo de Marcos, Mexico

During this holiday season, you might be receiving plenty of presents. The vast majority of them—if not all—will be material things you’ll enjoy temporarily and then forget about.

This year, I want to offer you something different. I want to give you a new life perspective.

What if, instead of focusing on getting more stuff or deciding on superficial new resolutions, you considered pursuing happiness and fulfillment? (Don’t leave just yet, stick around 😉).

I find it sad that so many people live lives they don’t actually want. Too many settle for what’s easier or what’s expected of them. Too few admit (even just to themselves) that they’d like to live a different life.

I’m not suggesting you change everything and start from scratch (though, if you can, why not?). But today, I’d like to encourage you to take the first step toward making changes:

• Take 1 or 2 hours of your time, alone, somewhere you won’t be interrupted or distracted.

• Grab a pen and some paper.

• Sit down, close your eyes if you feel comfortable, and take a few deep breaths to relax. Then just sit there for 5 minutes doing nothing.

• After those 5 minutes, stay where you are. Then ask yourself (if possible, out loud or in a whisper) a few questions and observe what comes up. Don’t try to answer them—just notice where your mind and thoughts go. Ask yourself:

  • Am I actually happy?

  • If I could do it all over again, what would I do?

  • What would I do in my life if I could do absolutely anything?

• Stay with these questions for 10 minutes.

• Once you’re done, open your eyes and start writing whatever comes to mind.

This holiday season, instead of giving yourself more things to do or buy, give yourself the gift of clarity and intention. That’s a gift that will keep giving for years to come.

The goal of this exercise is simple: GET SHIT OUT OF YOUR GUTS AND BRAIN.

For it to work:

• Be brutally honest with yourself. No filters, no sugarcoating.

• Let your imagination run wild. Don’t let “what ifs,” “I can’ts,” or other limiting beliefs stop you. There are no rules, no judgment—just freedom.

• Focus on what truly matters to you. Forget about what would make you look good or meet other people’s expectations. Focus on what genuinely brings you joy.

• Silence your inner critic. Ignore the voice that says you’re not good enough, or that others—parents, partners, kids—won’t approve. Write as if no one will ever read it (because they won’t have to).

Write as much as you can without overthinking or worrying. You can throw away those pages at the end, so don’t be scared—no one has to see them. What’s important is what will remain inside you.

For me, this wasn’t an overnight change. It started with small things—like setting aside time to reflect, saying no to obligations that didn’t align with my goals, and being more intentional with my time. These small steps led to big shifts over time.

This process will hopefully bring a few things to light for you. Whether you act on what you write is up to you. But the first step is awareness—acknowledging the gap between your current situation and your desired one. Many people bury their desires deep down and convince themselves they’re happy with what they have. My goal here is to help you see that you don’t have to give up on your dreams and desires.

You might not know this, but we live in an abundant world where so much is possible if we’re willing to try.

“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”

You can get the life you want. It’s totally up to you. You have more power than you think.

Everyone won’t agree with you. Some might call you selfish, naive, or silly. Some might even decide they don’t want to see you again—and that’s okay. Luckily, there are plenty of people out there who will support and inspire you.

Remember, you only experience life once. There are no do-overs. If you want to live a life free of regret, it’s your responsibility to get in the driver’s seat, buckle up, and steer toward the life you truly want—before someone else takes the wheel.

After doing this exercise, I’d love to hear from you. What did you uncover? What’s one small step you could take toward the life you truly want? Feel free to share in the comments or keep it for yourself—but take that step!