A life without a purpose is a miserable one at best. A life without a purpose means you aren’t taking advantage of the gifts you have been given as a human being, missing out on all of life’s greatest opportunities and experiences simply because you chose a monotonous routine of security and regret.

It’s the road to being average, being empty, turning your life into a ticking clock that you’ll want to stop more and more every day.

If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will make great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you. -T Alan Armstrong

Many people struggle to find their soul purpose,  which is what causes them to be lost and feel like all they can do is go through the motions and do what is most acceptable by others. Everyone’s journey is a different one, but to make sure that yours is as fulfilling to your individual needs as possible, you need to create something out of nothing and live your life with your purpose, on your terms.

Below we identify the 10 steps to help you put things in perceptive for the coming year so you can hopefully steer your life in the direction you want it to go. If you are unhappy with your life, you need only change and with change comes courage and imagination. Let that be what drives you to have the life you’ve always dreamed of.

1. Awareness

Being aware of where you are in your life greatly impacts the amount of control you have over what happens to you. Be aware that “what is” is not the real expression of your true, powerful and creative self.

Begin to understand that there is a difference between living in the present moment and just projecting personal desires towards a future state that never actually gets brought to fruition because you don’t do anything to make it happen.

2. Commitment

The journey to get to what you want most in this world is not going to be easy. Many have tried and failed, giving up when the pressure got too intense or the work load grew too immense to handle. What sets aside the ones that get there and the ones that don’t is determination and commitment.

The path is a conditioned path that is captured by unconscious impulses and discovering the power within yourself to overcome whatever is put in front of you. Remember that the only person who can literally force you to stop trying is yourself.

3. Seek guidance

One of the best advantages someone can have on their journey is having a mentor or some figure of guidance to show you the easiest way to deal with the precarious situations that will eventually come your way. Rome was not conquered in one day, nor was it conquered alone.

You are going to need some sort of a team and to add more constructive thoughts to solve problems and accomplish your goals.

4. Clarity

Without knowledge and research about yourself and what you believe in, you will not know which steps need to be taken to get what you want. You need to figure out what your values are and understand how your strengths and personality traits can help you turn your dreams into a reality.

This will allow you to branch out and have faith in yourself and what you plan on doing with the time you have been given on this earth.

5. Start doing

You will be surprised by how much better about yourself you will feel once you stop dreaming and start doing. For some people, getting started and building momentum is 90% of the battle.

Once you stop talking the talk and start walking the walk, you will gain the confidence and self-respect needed to stay on track when other factors will try to push you off.

6. Overcome fear and be courageous

The only thing you should fear is fear itself. Many people allow fear to stop them from thinking they have a chance at utilizing their gifts to have a valuable impact on this world. You need to be courageous and go beyond what you once thought your limits ever were.

No matter how unnerving an experience may be, your fear of it will greatly diminish once you actually engage in it and realize you’re still breathing afterwards.

7. Plan to go forward

When you find your soul purpose,  the next step is to commit yourself to a new lifestyle that is ultimately conducive to doing all you can to reach your goal. You must set new priorities, divide your time differently, and add new activities for your life after you have subtracted what is only preventing you from changing for the better.

8. Insights and inspiration

Take action based on insights and inspired ideas, while making sure you don’t limit your beliefs to stories you tell yourself from your conditioned past. Work with your coach to take back authority over your thoughts and feelings, and create a new mentality that supports your highest intentions.

9. Expand your personal power

You are going to find yourself at a point of true happiness once you have found that purpose in your life. Expand your power to be the greatest version of yourself through risk taking, action, and making a difference. Develop an unbreakable attitude of optimism, forgiveness and a lack of judgment.

10. Thankfulness

Give thanks for being alive and all you have been given to help you live your dream. Pay the world back by showing it all the goodness and value you have to offer.

We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Preston Waters | Elite.