5 Steps Toward Your Vision on the Summer Solstice

Seasonal shifts are my favorite times to refine into my vision—for my personal, professional, and spiritual life (which are all usually very intertwined). While I do this 4 times a year (OK 5, including my birthday), I spend the most time on this on the summer and winter solstices. These days are powerful portals into our intuition. It’s important to harness the power of nature around us to gain deeper insight into who we are and how we’re living our lives.

On the solstices, I take some time to be alone— on an “artist date” or out in Nature. I make sure to leave at least ½ a day for this so that I don’t feel rushed. Then, with my journal, I spend around 2 hours writing, reconnecting with what matters to me most and my heart’s deepest longings. I remember my life purpose, my core values, and take a look at my goals for the year, the season. What have I manifested? What did I completely forget about or lose touch with? What did I need to let go of? What am I still aching to realize? I also honor what I have learned and how I have grown. Then I look ahead—3 months, 6 months, and up to 5 and 10 years and envision my future.

I invite you to take some time out to use the bright opportunity of the summer solstice to shed light on your dreams and the path that will lead you to them.

Last winter I chatted on Skype with a Swedish friend of mine, Carl Lindeb0rg (he’s an inspirational author and teacher-check him out!). During our conversation he reaffirmed a similar approach that he uses and finds effective, which he calls “The Life Compass.” He broke it down into 5 steps, giving more form to my own visioning flow, which you might find helpful.

Below is a combination of what he shared and what I have used myself.

1. Mission. What is my life purpose? Why am I here? If I were to die tomorrow, what would I most like to see, be, or do?

2. Values. What are my core values? (Limit to 5 or 6). What’s most important to me in my life? What am I willing to stand up for? Then, describe what each one means to you. Make each one real and concrete in your experience. How do you feel when you live each one of them? How do you feel when you veer away from them?

3. Passion. What am I really passionate about? What lights me up?

4. Creation. Given all of this, what do I want to create? Look ahead 2 years in time. In a few sentences, describe in the present tense what life will be like in 2 years. Describe your ideal day, from the time you wake up in the morning until the time you go to sleep at night. Write down as many details as you can about that day. How do you feel? What do you see when you look in the mirror? Who and what are the colors, textures, shapes, scents, sounds, and people around you? Feel it all from your body. Feel who you are and the energy you’re radiating into the world. Feel what you’re creating.

5. Action Steps. We see our vision in the sky, but then in order to reach it, we need to start building the staircase. Step by step. What do you want to do over the next 6 months to help you move towards your vision? Be concrete; be practical. If necessary, break down steps into micro-steps (for example, if you want to write a book begin with writing in your journal every morning, starting a blog, writing query letters to magazines to publish articles, etc). It doesn’t matter how small the step is. Any movement in the direction of your dreams is laudable!

Keep these reflections in a folder, binder, or notebook called “Goals” “Dreams” or “Life Vision.” That way when the seasonal junctions come, you can do this again and also have fun looking back on your past reflections. You’ll be amazed to see what completely falls away and what comes into fruition…

Happy summer (and visioning)!

Do you have other strategies for crystallizing your goals and dreams? How do you like to celebrate the summer solstice? Has this been of benefit to you? If so, how? Please share below!

(photo by preju_13)