Working with business owners and professionals over the years, I learned an essential concept. To be happy meant to see life as a whole rather than just achieving goals. When we fixate on one aspect of our life, the rest of our life suffers. Frank focused all his attention on his business leaving little time for his young family. Tim was so fixated on his relationship that his career suffered. The examples go on. It does not have to be that way. At times, one aspect of our life requires more of our attention. That need does not have to steal energy from our life as a whole.

Recognizing how often this happened, I changed my approach years ago from not focusing on goals but on life. I found that my clients achieved their goals but were not as happy as they imagined they would be. Achieving goals in and of themselves is not the answer. Having the life we desire is.

Our lives have many aspects. We have to be clear about each one of them individually and as part of a whole. We experience a different aspect of who we are in every part of our life.

When you look at your goals and your life, what do you see? What if I said forget about goals? How does that land with you? What if I asked, what is the life you desire? Would you know the answer right away?

Having a clear vision of the life we desire is the key to having every aspect of our life in sync and having it all.

We cannot think of our work or business as separate from our life. We cannot think about relationships and see them in competition with our need to be alone. We cannot think about our health as separate from our work.

We cannot see one aspect of our life getting in the way of another part of our life. Our life manifests through the thoughts or pictures we believe to be true. If we change our perspective and how we think, our reality changes.

Begin with meditation—quiet your body. Clear your thinking. In your mind’s eye, go within and imagine the life you desire. Imagine each aspect of your life fitting together.

Release and let go of any thoughts that come to mind that argue with your vision. Please do not get lost in figuring out how to make it happen. Imagine the life you desire and include all aspects of your life, whether you have them now or not. See it all and see it as if it existed right now. Do not imagine it happening in the future. Experience enthusiasm for letting your life unfold in this way.

Once you have a clear vision, write it down, and commit to having it. Meditate on your vision often so that you always imagine yourself having this life – all of it.

Notice I did not tell you to create goals or plans. You can, but regardless, what you imagine is manifesting in your life. Allow your life to change. This may not be logical, but it is very intuitive.