This post is part of three projects in December that will help you create your ideal global life in 2014. Project #1 is here and #2 here.

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In the first project you created a vision board focusing on how you want to feel in your ideal global life in 2014. Last week you connected with others in the monthly #GlobalLifeChat on Twitter (if you missed December’s chat, join us in January – we chat on the third Thursday of the month at 1pm EST).

This week’s project (the third and final one) is all about getting clear about what you want your global life to look like in 2014 and how you can make your ideal global life a reality.

Step 1: Dreamstorm

Grab some paper, your favorite pen, and your favorite beverage. Sit somewhere comfy and inspiring (for me that’s either on my couch with my cat snuggled up next to me or sitting at rickety old table in a bustling coffee shop). Make sure you have at least 30 minutes for this project.

Once you’re settled in, begin by thinking about how you want to feel in 2014 (question #1). If you created a vision board in Project #1, you may want to spend a few minutes looking at your board before writing down your answer. What patterns do you see in your images? What do the images communicate about how you want to feel? How do the images you chose make you feel right now?

If you didn’t create a board, no worries. Just take a few minutes to mull over the question. How do you want to feel in 2014? This is the most important question to answer so don’t skip it. Getting clear on how you want to feel in your global life will enable you to  create the global life that works for you.

The main thing to remember is that your global life can take any number of forms. There’s no one way to live a global life. And your global life will change and evolve during your life. “Global” isn’t a location or an activity; it’s a mindset.

Tips. If you’re just not feeling a question, skip it. You don’t even have to answer them in order. Start with the question that draws you in. Also, don’t censor yourself. Just write. Now is the time to dream.

1. How do I want to feel in 2014?
2. Where do I want to go?
3. What do I want to eat?
4. What do I want to read?
5. Who do I want to meet for the first time?
6. Who do I want to see again?
7. What do I want to learn?
8. What do I want to create?
9. What do I NOT want to feel/see/eat/etc?
10. What other dreams do I have for my ideal global life in 2014?

Step 2: Plan it out

Now that you have an idea for how you want your global life to feel in 2014, and you have some specific ideas for what you want to do, see, eat, meet, etc., it’s time to create a plan.

Look at all of the things you wrote down in Step 1. Start with the one that you most want to do in 2014. Then answer these two  questions:

1. When in 2014 can I make this happen? Set a tentative date right now and put it in your calendar. (You can always change it.)
2. What steps do I need to take to make this happen? Write down 3-5 steps.

Rinse and repeat for each thing you want to do in 2014.

Finally, review each of your global life components against how you want to feel in 2014. Does each one support how you want to feel? Yes? Keep it. No? Draw a star next to it for later review. Maybe you can make adjustments so it better supports how you want to feel. Or maybe you need to just chuck it.

An example…

 

The excerpt below is from Jessica’s Re-Entry Reality interview from earlier in the year. I think it’s a great example of Jessica getting clear about her global life ingredients and creating the global life that’s right for Jessica and the stage of life she’s at now.

Here’s the story. After living in Spain, Jessica returned home and thought that the best part of her life was over. Here’s how she explained it:

When I was a student I said I came back [to the US] because of school, when I was working, I said I came back because of a boyfriend. One of my friends in Spain had to say simply that if I wanted to stay I would find a way to.

When things didn’t work out with that guy, I had really no obligation to keep me in the States. I thought about the things I liked about being in Spain, and found I could find similar things within 1-2 hour drive from where I live now. I also went on a really fabulous trip that showed me that there are maybe places I can visit that I might like better than Spain. That thought had never really occurred to me until I was there!

Only really after I could say, that yes, I wanted to stay in the Midwest because I like grass (I have a nice yard for my dogs!), my car (freedom of movement that wasn’t going to take half of my salary), and being around my family, was I able to make peace with that I wasn’t in Spain.

…After time, I had the opportunity to visit several new places, and now would prefer to visit a new place instead of return to Spain, unless it’s to visit my friends there. I couldn’t even imagine these other adventures I’ve had since then! Several of the places I’ve been since then I didn’t know existed, or wouldn’t have expected myself to go there – like Aruba, Egypt, or Kauai, HI. Now I can’t stop talking about Kauai! Alooooooha!

 

Jessica’s story illustrates that we often think our global life can only take one specific path, and most often we assume that path means being abroad (*raises hand* – I certainly have felt this way).

I’m not trying to dissuade you from going abroad. Not at all. Being abroad is awesome! It’s also the most obvious way to live a global life. But it’s only one way to live a global life. Going abroad might be the best way for you to live a global life now. It might not.

I encourage you to think about two things:

1. What are all of the ways you could incorporate global into your life?

2. Does the global life you envision support how you want to feel?

Jessica got clear on what she wanted – a yard for her dogs, the freedom that comes with having a car, and being near her family. She also found ways to incorporate “global” into her life by traveling to places she hadn’t initially considered and discovering that the things she liked about living in Spain (I think salsa dancing was one?) she could also find in her current location.

Your ideal global life may look similar to Jessica’s or it may look wildly different. Regardless, asking yourself the two questions above (not to mention the 10 questions at the beginning of this article) will enable you to incorporate the global activities that are right for you and where you are in your life right now. That’s what living your ideal global life is all about!

More support and inspiration

Join the free and virtual Living Your Ideal Global Life Summit during the week of January 13-17, 2014!