One of the most important ingredients to being happy is to decide exactly what you want out of life. What do you want out of school, from your friends, your family, and more? This page offers a simple tool to help you figure it out for yourself.

Wish lists are an important step toward being your very best self. Wish lists allow you to brainstorm freely about things you want, desire, or dream about, without any judgments or timelines getting in the way. These can include things you are not actively pursuing at this time. The idea is to be creative and have some fun.

If you look close at the word, journal, you can see the word journey inside it. A journal is simply a written record of your journey toward reaching your goals and dreams. A journal is a wonderful way to write down – for yourself – to discover if you are moving closer or farther away from your goals on a daily or weekly basis.

Creating a journal is very important – especially when done so you can compare the day or the week to your goals. Here are some tips to help you with keeping a journal!

Be Consistent by making journal writing a habit by planning a specific time or day when you will write in your journal, such as every evening before you go to bed or before you have breakfast. If you don't have enough time to write every day, pick a specific day of the week when you will write. Sundays are wonderful since journal writing makes a great reflection day activity. Writing consistent journal entries will make future reading more enjoyable.

Vary Your Entries to include both facts and emotions. Make sure you write your feelings and thoughts about the things going on in your life. Don’t become obsessed with facts (this is what happened, and where and when) and end up excluding your emotions and how you felt. Ask Yourself Questions such as what would you like to remember about yourself? Or ask, how God has surprised you today?

Don't Give Up no matter how much time has passed since your last entry don't be discouraged, what's important is that you write in your journal today!

Start by writing your journal based on who you are today. As your thoughts develop, you can always modify your answers. Grab a pen, or click here, and you will go to your own private page where you can type notes to yourself, that you can review whenever you want.

An obstacle is like an obstruction – something that is in the way of you becoming your very best self. Sometimes we can make enormous progress by recognizing and removing the ONE obstacle that stands in the way of our goals. The secret is to write down – and precisely identify exactly what is my number one obstacle?

For example, your number one obstacle might be fear. When we think about fear we need to narrow it down to fear of what? Is it fear of failure? Is it fear of what others might think? Is it fear of the effort? Is it fear of success? Writing down EXACTLY what you are afraid of is the first step toward recognizing, and removing your fear obstacle.

Writing down your obstacle is like going to the doctor with a sore leg that keeps you from running. The doctor will ask you questions about the pain to determine its source. Perhaps it is because you have shin splints, or an ingrown toenail, or you need orthotics, or you need arch supports – the list goes on. The secret is to describe in detail what your number one obstacle really is.

Once you have detailed your obstacle, you’ll gain clarity in thought and most likely discover ways to overcome or go around that obstacle! Some people believe there is very little difference between obstacle and opportunity once the obstruction/opportunity is clearly defined. Others believe that every obstacle is simply an opportunity to develop new muscles as we overcome them.

At any rate, you have an enormous opportunity for growth when you take the time to write down these two things in detail: What is my number one obstacle that prevents me from achieving my goals? What courses of action can I take to overcome or go around these obstacles?

Start by writing your obstacles as you see them today. As your thoughts develop, you can always modify your answers. It will be an interesting exercise for you to watch how your obstacles are removed one by one as you continue to work on being your very best self. Grab a pen, or click here, and you will go to your own private page where you can type notes to yourself, that you can review whenever you want.

Having a written list of what you are thankful for is a secret weapon that you can use anytime you become discouraged. We suggest that you start writing your list based on the most obvious things such as, “I am thankful for every breath I take” and/or “I am thankful that I can read and write” and/or “I am thankful for my opportunities to learn”.

With your written list, you have an opportunity to be thankful to God, to your parents, to your siblings and others. This is an occasion where you will really expose your heart, and show yourself what is really important to you.

This list should not include things… Things come and go. We need to remember that we were born naked, and we will leave this life without any material possessions. When we fixate on things, we have no choice but to be unhappy, because there will always be someone who has newer or nicer things than us. Things such as “my new car” or “my new outfit” or “how much money I have” do not belong on your list of what you are thankful for.

You’ll notice as you write your list is just how much it can make you smile. And you’ll probably notice how important other people are in your life, and how some of the happiest memories we have are times we shared with others.

Start by writing your list of what you are thankful for as you see them today. As your thoughts develop, you can always modify your answers. It will be an interesting exercise for you to watch how your thankfulness continues to expand as you work on being your very best self. Grab a pen, or click here, and you will go to your own private page where you can type notes to yourself, that you can review whenever you want.

Having a clear understanding of who you are begins by writing down what is important to you – in other words, what do you really want? This exercise is so important because it tells you what you value the most. Everyone has heard the expression “you are what you eat”, but the truth is even more profound in that “you become what you think about” and you think about what you value.

The next step toward discovering who you are begins by writing a list of all the good you can see in yourself. We call these blessings. They are the gifts that God has bestowed on you since you born. These are the traits that are inside you, that identify you – just like your thumbprint identifies you.

For example, you might have a warm smile, or be a good listener, or be gifted with athletic ability, or have a winning personality. You might be outstanding on computers, or have an interest in flying, or enjoy working with your hands. You can also include a list of all the good that other people see in you.

The idea is to write down everything – absolutely everything – that is good and positive about you. This is not bragging, but rather an opportunity to be thankful to God for blessing you with all these wonderful gifts! After all, you have to remember that all your talents and abilities are truly gifts from God who loves you and wants the very best for you!

It’s important to write all these blessings down for a few reasons:

1. It allows to see in black and white all the ways that you have been blessed!

2. It gives you a foundation for being thankful. You may remember the story where Jesus healed the ten lepers and afterward only one of the

ten came back to thank Jesus. It can be an ugly sin is when we are ungrateful for all that God has done for us.

3. It gives you a foundation of where your strengths are, so you can focus and be the best you can be! One time there was a little acorn who wanted so badly to grow up to be a giant redwood tree. He studied all the redwood books, and listened to the redwood motivational CD’s. Of course we know that this little acorn grew up to become what all acorns become, an oak tree. But instead of being a mighty oak tree, he became an inferior oak tree who never felt good about the oakness that was inside him! By writing down all the ways that you are blessed, you’ll have a chance to see all the gifts you’ve been given, and perhaps it will encourage you to be strong in the areas where you have been blessed the most.