It’s time to come alive, and go do it!

Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. 

People ask me all the time how to know what your dream is, how to know what you’re supposed to be doing in life and how to find your purpose in life.

There is no magic pill, fancy formula or easy 12-step plan, but the key thing to remember is that that dream or purpose is already buried in you. Perhaps it’s deep in a dormant room in your being that you haven’t visited in quite a while, but it’s there nonetheless.

The defining moment, though, is not finding that purpose, it’s what you do with it once you find it. Learning your purpose is futile and you will become more frustrated and hopeless if you don’t pull the trigger to make it come to pass.

But let’s take a stab to help you discover that thing that’s buried deep in you that may cause you to come alive! Then, you will have to “go do it”!

Take out a piece of paper. Answer each of these questions. It’s important to write down your answers. Don’t rush, take some time.

When I was a kid, what did I always want to be when I grew up? Sure, maybe it’s too late to be an astronaut or a major league baseball player or even a school teacher, but there is probably something hidden in that younger you that can help reveal your dream.

What am I really good at? Not what can I do, but what can I do better than most people? This is something that comes naturally. You may not need to be taught this, you just do it easily and instinctively. This should be evident, both to you and your friends or family. Write down as many things as are obvious.

What is my passion? This is something you are fanatical about. There are times you are doing this that you don’t even realize it. In other words, what would you get up every morning at 5 a.m. and go do whether you got paid for it or not?

If I could go anywhere in the world, where would that be and who would I take? Think about this now. After you answer the question, ask yourself “Why did I choose that person to join me?”

What am I good at (from a different angle)? Ask this question to 2-3 of your friends or family. Those closest to you are more honest and will have your back and your best interest at heart. Frankly, they probably won’t tell you anything you don’t already know, but they will likely confirm it, which will help build your confidence.

What is a time in my life when I was happiest? You should spend some time on this one. You may remember 2-3 times you were extremely happy and fulfilled. What were you doing? What made you happy about what you were doing? Who was around you? What were the circumstances? If you have multiple occasions, are there common threads running through each occasion?

Who is someone I admire? Dig down and find out why you admire them. Perhaps there’s something there that will help you come alive. This is not an admonition to copy someone else, but there are common traits among successful people who are following their own dreams.

What would I do if time, people, resources, circumstances and money were not an issue? Ah, now this one should help you. Don’t say “Yeah, but…” Just answer the question honestly without any of those constraints.

Okay, that should get you well down the road to your destination. Take those questions and use them to determine your goals and dreams.

Again — and I can’t stress this enough — if you aren’t serious about going after your goal or dream with all you’ve got, don’t waste your time on this exercise. Nothing can be worse than letting that dream die within you. Benjamin Franklin said, “Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.”

You have enough tools on this page to determine your dream. Chances are you already know what it is, you just want to be certain or you’re scared to face it because of fear of failure or what others might think.

Wherever you are in life, there is no better time to come alive and go do it!

Napoleon Hill said: “Remember, no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity, than is required to accept misery and poverty.”

Would you share your findings? Once you’ve completed this process, come back and leave a comment or two.

Good luck!