128.Why You Must Decide What You Want Before You Know How to Get It

What if the first step toward changing your life isn't figuring out how to make everything happen, but deciding what you actually want?

A few years ago, I was working late every night, constantly feeling behind, and believing that success required hustle, grinding, and sacrifice.

My business was growing, but I was still stressed. I was still working too much. And I knew I didn't want to keep repeating the same patterns.

So I hired a mentor, expecting to learn how to build a bigger business.

Instead, we spent 12 months working on my beliefs.

I began challenging the idea that I had to sacrifice myself to become successful. I started practicing a different approach: spending less time on things while operating from a more relaxed state.

The results surprised me.

Over those 12 months, I doubled my business, took nine trips, and watched my team become more productive as I gave them more autonomy.

But the biggest lesson wasn't simply about working less.

It was about making a decision about the life I wanted before knowing exactly how I would create it.

In this episode, I share how I changed my beliefs about success and how you can begin creating a different future.

We'll explore:

1. Challenge your old beliefs. Recognize how your definition of success may be keeping you stuck.

2. Decide what you want. Stop letting uncertainty prevent you from defining your future.

3. Create a vision. Identify the life you want beyond financial milestones and achievements.

4. Change how you operate. Make decisions, set boundaries, and delegate in ways that align with your vision.

5. Practice consistently. Look for evidence of your new beliefs and take action toward the life you're creating.

I'll also share how Monika and I developed Future Reel, which turns your vision into a personalized cinematic film you can revisit regularly.

You don't need every answer today. You need a clear direction and a willingness to start moving toward it.

The question I'm leaving you with:

What would you decide today if you trusted yourself to figure out the how along the way?

Your biggest goal, made into a 5-minute film starring you. Watch how it works: https://joeyvaillancourt.com/future-reel/

Helpful Links:

The Great Life Experiment
You built the life. You hit the goals. But the pressure, overthinking, and old patterns still keep showing up. The Great Life Experiment is a free 30-day challenge with one question a day to help you uncover the unconscious patterns underneath it all.

Take the FREE quiz here: Pressure Pattern Profile Quiz

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why You Need to Decide Before You Know How

01:04 The Old Pattern That Was Costing Me My Life

02:25 Why I Spent 12 Months Changing My Beliefs

03:20 The Belief That Doubled My Business

05:07 Decide What You Want Before Figuring Out How

07:20 Turn What You Don't Want Into Your Vision

09:03 How Changing My Approach Created New Opportunities

10:12 Build Your Future Vision With Future Reel

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About:

Joey Vaillancourt is the host of Real Influence, a show for high performers who can't turn it off. If you've built the life, hit the goals, and still feel the pressure, this is for you. Joey helps entrepreneurs and executives rewire the unconscious patterns driving the need to force, fix, and prove, so they can achieve more by leading with presence instead of pressure.