Each year before school started, my mom used to take me and my sister to a ‘goal setting luncheon’.  We would get all dressed up, go somewhere fancy and talk about our intentions for the upcoming year.  This entailed us pouring our hearts out and writing down our deepest wishes and yearnings; it was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

It wasn’t until later in life that I realized that others may view this as an offbeat (odd?) thing to do with your mom, especially as a 12 year old.  But to me, it was one of my favorite days of the year–a fun lunch, hanging with my peeps and getting special attention from my mom.  It was something that I looked forward to because it helped me get clear about where I was going.

And clarity feels good, no matter what age you are.

What I didn’t realize at the time, is that she was helping me design my life.  She wanted me to intentionally construct where I wanted to go rather than just let life happen to me.  She was showing me I was the artist of my own life.  And if no one else ever told you, you’re an artist too.  All you need is a vision and a desire to follow through on it.

Here are 5 simple steps to bring out your inner artist and get what you want from life:

1. Pick a target. Get clear about exactly what it is that you are moving towards and start making moves towards it, no matter how small those moves may be. Some people hesitate doing this because they don’t feel confident about what they choose. Don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time out–you can always change your mind. Just trust your gut,and get moving; you can change direction later if you need to.

2. Be your own cheerleader. The universe doesn’t take a joke, so don’t pooh-pooh your ideas, even to yourself (for example:”I can’t do this, it’s too hard”, “I don’t deserve to get that” etc). Negative talk doesn’t do any good and it only sends the message to yourself and others that you’re not serious about what you want. If you find yourself being a Negative Nelly, pick a different goal that you feel more confident about–a goal that gets you excited will keep you inspired to move towards it.

3. Pay attention to the cues of the universe.  It’s amazing what happens when you make up your mind–everything and everyone around you suddenly seems to be in on it with you.  When you make up your mind about what you want, you will notice ‘coincidences’ happening and find people who want to help you along the way; go with that flow.

4. Be open.  When you are thinking about the things you want to achieve, remember that there are many ways to reach them.  Be open to opportunities that you may not have considered before–surprises can often be amazing catalysts.  Trust your feelings and your gut; there’s a reason they’re usually right.

5. Let it go.  With all that said, it’s a good philosophy to keep a loose grip on things.  Remember that spazzy boy that used to chase you in grammar school?  You ran away fast from him, right?  That’s the needy energy you’re trying to avoid; the tighter hold you try to have on something, the more it will elude you.  Set the wheels in motion and trust the process.  Don’t try to control everything–control is an illusion and chasing it delays the big picture from coming to life.

Crafting your vision is a work in progress, so go easy and make it fun!  Vision boarding can help you get started, or you can make a lunch date with your favorite pal and see what happens…