One night I found myself sitting on my balcony watching the city lights. I was frustrated because I knew I had goals and aspirations I wanted to achieve—but my “everyday self” was nowhere near my dream self. I knew I could do better. I wasn’t failing at life, but I sure wasn’t crushing it.
That was when I realized… your dream self isn’t built in a day.
There’s no magic spell. Becoming the person you want to be requires focused, daily action. Habits. Mindsets. Daily routines that bring you one step closer to the life you want.
I’ve spent years refining the right steps to turn your life around. And today I want to share with you the 10 most important steps to build your dream self. Stop living life by chance. Start building your dream self.
1. Define What You Want to Become
Every journey starts with defining your destination. You can’t improve yourself if you’re not sure who you want to become. Know your “why.”
Think about what your dream self will look like.
- How will they act?
- What habits will they have?
- What goals will they achieve?
- What type of person do they want to be?
Get specific. Write it down.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Many people struggle to answer this question as kids. As adults, we should have the answer pretty clearly.
Having a clear vision is your guiding light. All of your decisions can be run through this filter. When you’re dreaming up a new goal or opportunity, ask yourself if this moves you closer to your ideal self. Use your vision as your internal compass.
Read also: How to Do a Personal Development Plan
2. Know Your Weaknesses
Okay. You have your dream self mentally painted out. Now it’s time to identify what’s standing in between you and that person.
What skills are you lacking? What habits? Mindsets?
Write down everything that’s holding you back from your ideal self. Be honest with yourself. We’re not playing the blame game here. We just want to identify where you can improve.
Knowing your weaknesses will help you build a plan to improve. You can’t grow if you don’t know where you’re weak.
Read also: 8 Signs You Have Outgrown Your Life
3. Develop Daily Habits That Align With Your Goals
Dream careers aren’t built overnight. They take time. One day at a time.
What habits do you want to develop that are in line with your goals? Write them down. Then build them into your daily routine.
If you want to be someone who is productive and focused, build a morning routine that reflects that. Want to become more healthy? Exercise every day.
Small improvements every day add up over time. Dreams come true when you take action.
Read also: 10 Peaceful Life Goals
4. Build Your Environment Around You
Your environment has a huge impact on the person you become.
Want to become more productive? But you work in a busy office with distracting coworkers? You’re likely to struggle.
Dream bodies don’t live off cheeseburger pizzas and sedentary lifestyles. Want better health, but your home is filled with unhealthy food?
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
Build your environment to support the person you want to become. That may mean getting a new job or moving to a new city. But it can also be as simple as changing your workspace or the people you hang out with.
Look for mentors and communities who inspire you. Fill your space with only things that uplift you.
5. Commit to Constantly Learning
Once you know who you want to be, figure out what you need to do in order to become that person.
What skills do you need to learn? What areas do you need to improve?
The path to your dream self is always changing, and constantly learning allows you to adapt and grow. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Take courses. YouTube is your friend.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you “know enough.”
How your dream self approaches growth is just as important as the hard skills they know. Learn how to manage your emotions. How to communicate with others. How to problem solve.
Learning is a lifelong pursuit. Start now.
6. Take Action & Own Your Life
Do you blame others for your mistakes or shortcomings? Do you let yourself wallow in pity?
Your dream self owns their life. They don’t blame others. They learn from their mistakes and move forward.
Taking action is critical. Waiting for the perfect opportunity or moment to come will never happen.
Grow stronger by taking responsibility for your actions. Your dream self isn’t something that just happens to you. You make it happen.
7. Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Let’s face it. Your comfort zone is comfortable for a reason. It’s comfortable.
But your dream self isn’t created within your comfort zone. You grow when you push your limits and challenge yourself.
Take small risks every day. Do something that scares you. Face a fear.
Little by little, you’ll expand your comfort zone and grow as a result. Your comfort zone wants you to stay the same. Don’t let it.
8. Cultivate a Growth Mindset
A lot of growth comes from how you view the world around you. But if you have a negative mindset, you will miss out on opportunities.
Your dream self doesn’t look at setbacks as failures. They look at problems and view them as opportunities to learn and improve.
Work on your mindset every day. Think positively. Become comfortable with change. Change your thoughts, change your life.
9. Track Your Progress
Change isn’t always fast. You might not see the results you had hoped for right away.
That’s why you should track your progress daily. Create goals that you can measure and hold yourself accountable to.
Celebrate the small victories. Sure, your ultimate goal might be to lose 50 pounds. But that’s a long time from now. Right now, you can celebrate choosing a salad over pizza.
Acknowledge how far you’ve come. That’ll keep you moving forward.
10. Stay Consistent
Last but not least. Never let your motivation dictate your action. Some days you will feel amazing and willing to take on the world. Other days you would rather snooze your alarm for 8 hours.
But your dream self isn’t built on how you feel. It’s built on consistency.
Take action every day. Show up every day. Do the work.
Motivation will come and go. Stay consistent.
Wrap Up
Building your dream self takes work. It’s a lifestyle change. If you want to become a better person, you need to think and act like one.
Know your vision. Build habits. Create your environment. Learn constantly. Become uncomfortable. Become your dream self.
They’re not out there, someday waiting to be found. Your dream self is right inside you, every day, letting you choose who you want to be.
What are you waiting for? Go build yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will it take me to become my dream self?
A: Your dream self could be weeks away or years away. Some goals will take longer than others. Just make sure you’re constantly making progress.
Q: Do small habits really matter?
A: Everything you do each day compounds over time. Small habits become big habits. Start small and watch them grow.
Q: What if I lose motivation?
A: Don’t worry about motivation. Learn to stay consistent regardless of how you feel. Trust the process.
Q: Do I have to change every aspect of who I am?
A: No, you don’t! Just improve on the things that will allow you to reach your definition of your “dream self.”
Q: How can I stay accountable to my goals?
A: Track your progress! Send weekly updates to a mentor or friend. Reward yourself for your wins. Find ways to stay accountable.
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