Level 33 unlocked
Thoughts on turning another year older & defining your values
Our natural tendency is to always strive for our next goal or accomplishment.
Every now and then, it’s good to look back and appreciate how far we’ve come. I just turned 33 years old and took a bit of time to reflect on life:
I live in Barcelona, a place I believe to be the most magical city in the world.
Yesterday I flew to Bari, Italy with my family to spend my birthday weekend in a quaint seaside town eating homemade pasta and sipping Chianti.
Next week I’m going to Budapest, Hungary to spend time with loved ones before heading back to Barcelona.
Five years ago, I dreamt of this lifestyle.
My goal was to figure out a way to make a living while also being able to travel the world. Taking the leap into the unknown was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I hope this story inspires someone else to do the same….
After graduating from university, I had no idea what my next step was.
I worked a traditional job for a few years, but I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. That’s when I started writing, exploring my options, and trying to figure out how to carve a new path for myself.
I know many variables contribute to everyone’s particular situation, but I believe the way to get what you desire out of life is by defining your values.
I’m curious…
Have you ever sat down and thought about what your core values are? Do you have them written down anywhere?
For example:
I knew that I wanted to be able to spend time with my family and friends without having to ask someone for permission to do so.
I knew I wanted time and location freedom so that I could choose when and where I work.
I knew I wanted to live in a walkable city where I get natural movement throughout the day instead of sitting in a car during rush hour traffic.
By defining your values and living life in alignment with them, all other decisions become significantly easier.
When you do this simple exercise, you avoid decision fatigue because you get clear on your end goal. It increases your confidence because you know that you’re staying true to your word. It helps you gain a deeper sense of purpose in your life.
Why do you think so many successful people talk about how important their journaling practice is?
It’s not just about writing down what you had for breakfast yesterday.
It’s writing about your beliefs and worldviews. It’s about having a conversation with yourself about what you want out of life.
If you wake up in the morning and your not being defined by a vision of your future, it’s no longer that your personality is creating your reality, but your reality is creating your personality. - Dr. Joe Dispenza
Do you wake up in the morning doing the exact same things at the exact same time?
Do you go to the same exact places and see the same exact people every day?
Whether you like it or not, your environment is controlling you unconsciously.
It’s important to take note of your actions and ask yourself if these actions are in alignment with where you see yourself in the future.
If one of your top values is health and fitness, then saying no to junk food becomes second nature. You identify yourself as a person who doesn’t eat junk food.
Note that values are not the same as manifestation, which is something that books such as The Secret have hyped up when discussing the Law of Attraction.
The Law of Attraction is a powerful tool, but take into account that it still requires action. Simply hoping and praying that your dreams will come true is not enough.
To harness the power of the Law of Attraction, you have to define your values and goals clearly. Then break them down into smaller, actionable steps that can be taken daily. Set aside time each week to reflect on where you want to be in the future, whether it's in one year, two years, or five years.
By reverse engineering your goals and working backward from your desired end result, you can build a plan of action.
Strike a balance between planning and action, because over-planning can lead to analysis paralysis and prevent you from taking the necessary steps toward achieving your goals.
The timing will never be perfect, sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and trust that everything will work out in the end.
As the saying goes, "We make plans, and God laughs."
Until next time my friends.
<3 B
Happy 33! I love this all. Writing down my core values now. Hope you enjoyed your family time.
Nice! Agreed with you, that just to have plans won’t make the difference but, to take actions following that path it will. So big dreams + planning + actions. I will also add that, not only to do something different like change where you go every day or same ppl, but sometimes is deeper, as change our beliefs, and that can take longer. Thanks for sharing!