Are you looking for freedom in some area of your life? Whether you’re looking for better health, more money, deeper relationships, or a more focused career path, structure is the key to moving your goals forward and experiencing freedom. 

Structure is a game-changer because it allows you to lay down the habits that form the foundation of your life. Healthy habits will allow health and freedom in every area of your life, whether you “feel” like it or not. If you only brush your teeth when you feel like it, your oral hygiene will suffer the consequences but if you make toothbrushing a habit, you’ll gain a healthy mouth with minimal thought or work. It takes about a month to form a habit, so stick it out and know it gets easier with time.

Connect with your vision

First of all, set your intention. If you have a vision for your life, and you know where you are going, you can do the work to plan and create structure to make it happen. You can do this alone, and if you have a partner, you can do this together. Actually set aside some time and write down a list of things you need to think about and talk about. This will likely take three or four hours. Go ahead and take breaks, but make sure you return to the work and get all the way through your list. Start with the hardest areas first, and leave the fun stuff as a reward for getting through the tough stuff. Honor the work despite your feelings and keep going! Think about 10 year, 5 year, 3 year, and 1 year goals. Think about what you want your life to look like. Some topics to include are health, finances, career goals, family, relationships, education, personal development, spirituality, fun and relaxation, and hobbies. This is a chance to dream big!

Take back your mornings

Taking your morning time begins with getting to bed. Establish a good bedtime routine and a consistent bedtime in order to wake up early to take the time for yourself to focus, learn, and plan your day. Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning walks you through his seven-step process. The elements he includes are writing, affirmations, visualization, exercise, and reading. Use some planning time to ask yourself some really good questions. Brendon Burchard suggests asking yourself three questions. 

1. What can I get excited about today?

2. Who can I show some appreciation to today?

3. What might throw me off? 

However you structure it, taking the time in the morning to focus on filling yourself up in mind, body, and spirit, will give your day direction and intention. Drink some water, be grateful, do some writing, get your body moving, and fill your mind with good content. 

Strive for consistency, not perfection. Life events inhibit perfection, but cultivating consistency will get you what you need most of the time. 

Give your goals legs

Knowing where you are going helps you pivot in unexpected circumstances. After all, HOW you get to your destination is less important than the destination itself. Sometimes you won’t be able to predict what’s coming (Hello, 2020, here’s looking at you!) but if you know where you are headed you can shift your plans without getting sidetracked from your goals. Having goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART goals) will bring clarity to your action items.  Breaking down a goal into a list of specific action items leaves no room for excuses or procrastination, because once you know what you need to do you can go do it!

It seems counterintuitive but structure does truly create freedom. By assuring that your needs are taken care of and that you are moving toward your goals, structure gives you a way to focus your energy on the things that truly are important to you. For a deeper dive into how to provide structure for health, check out Lifestyle Mastery for Health at drtracikiernan.com. You are worth it!