This exercise provides a lot of perspective and insight, but you have to actually DO it not just read directions and say, "That sounds like a great idea. I’ll try it later." It’s really important to "get clear."

This first step is critical to your success. If you make decision to become conscious to become completely aware of what is really going on you become aware of what it is that you really want. We often become excited after participating in a workshop, attending a seminar or reading a book. We think, "Oh, this is it. This is thing that’s going to change my life." However, we don't make decision to start, to take action. Or we may think that by simply reading a book, it will somehow magically change our lives: "The information is going to float over me and my life is going to be different."

When pebble in our shoe bugs us enough, we pick up a book or attend a seminar. We briefly take off our shoe. We enjoy comfort of idea of not traveling with pebble in our shoe anymore.

When seminar or book is finished, we put our shoe back on over pebble. Then we start our journey again. We feel a little lighter and more enthusiastic, because of encountering new material. So pebble is barely noticeable. However, we never made a decision a conscious choice to remove pebble or get shoes that keep pebble from falling back in again.

We never really get started.

Whether you know what you want to do or no longer want that quiet, nag pebble in your shoe realization that you need to make a change and take action is a great place to be. When you make decision to move forward, it’s truly a momentous occasion. Today, you are finally awake.

This excerpt from The Soul of Success: 7 Steps to Monetary and Spiritual Wealth For A Rich Meaningful Life is reprinted with permission from Essence Press.

The first brainstorming session should be free flowing, don't edit your thoughts or ideas. If you are working on your personal vision and your work vision to define what you want and how you want to spend your time, start with personal vision. This will give you absolute clarity about what is important to you, what you want, what are things in your life you are passionate about and that make you feel fulfilled. Then from there you can create vision of your ideal business or career and take action to bring want you really want into your life.

Focus on what you really want, be very specific. Don't just say you want lots of money, a nice home and no stress. Create a picture in your mind of exactly what you want down to color of carpet and list of clients, and then using words draw that picture until your vision is clear.

For example: I want a profitable and fulfilling holistic health practice. I want to see clients in three different specialties plus passive income revenue streams. A full successful practice will have 30-40 clients. I will work five days a week between noon and six devoting rest of day to self-care, gardening, exercising, and spending time with family and friends. I will make 100,000 a year and take 5 weeks vacation throughout year. I love to learn so I will spend 3 weeks a year in educational workshops and training programs to advance my career and myself. I have several tape sets, workbooks, & learning products that fit into my personal and vision statement providing my clients excellent value and tools that help them to get on track with their lives. These products are very rewarding to me because I can make money without having to be there. Making a contribution and improving people's lives is very important to me so this is always something I carry out in my business practices and my community involvement. I have redesigned my home to be bright and airy and laid out gardens for ease of care, and to provide color and fragrance from my flowers and tastes and aromas from my organic vegetables. I avoid stress by focusing on positive and focusing my energy on things that are really important to me and just let rest go.

You create what you put your energy on. If you concentrate on all things you don't want on all things you don't have enough of that is what you will create more of. Start creating what you do want.

Start with your vision; clearly lay out your life, career, and business vision and then take steps to make it your reality. One of steps might include hiring a coach to make it happen faster for you.