What if you could look back a year from now, and be surprised by how much had changed?

A year ago I wrote down 6 major ways I wanted my life to be completely different in 5 years.

I got specific about each one, defining as much as I could imagine about what my ideal life would look like. I wrote in present tense, as if it was already happening. I touched on work, relationships, hobbies, volunteering, travel. I titled it “Dream Life 2030” — my version of a 5-year-plan.

These were not small changes. Most of them felt ambitious for 5 years. These were big, bold moves. I definitely felt like I was dreaming wildly.

But one year in, I’m surprised to realize I’m already over 42% there!

There are some things that require the actual passage of 5 years, but I’m at least halfway to my ideal on 5 of the 6 major changes. (And I’m about to start something big for number 6! But that’s another post.)

I cannot overstate the momentum I gained by writing my goals down.

Getting your vague wish for a better life out of your head and into precise words on paper forces you to really define what “better” looks like.

And there’s good science that shows how defining success like this, and bringing your attention back to it regularly, makes you more likely to achieve it.

In my last post I called it “priming your brain.”

It’s part of what a lot of woo-woo spiritual hippie types call “manifesting.”

But there’s nothing mystical required.

Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Irena O'Brien outlines the non-magical version of manifestation:

”When you set a meaningful intention, your brain's salience network starts prioritizing emotionally relevant information, helping you notice patterns and possibilities that support your goal."

In other words: Define it precisely, write it down, and come back to it. Your brain does more of the work than you'd expect.

What is the wildest thing you’d hope to change about your life in the next year?