Your Dream Life Starts Here

Welcome back to the Dream Life Blueprint—your step-by-step guide to building the life you’ve always envisioned. If you missed any previous phases (Intro, Phase One, Phase Two, or Phase Three), now’s the time to catch up!

Phase Four: Experimenting with New Habits: Grab your worksheet here.

At this stage, we take all the visioning, planning, and learning from the previous phases and begin turning it into real, measurable action. This is where you stop dreaming and start becoming.

Let me take you back to 2015. I was 49 years old, staring down my 50s like a man who knew he was on the brink of burnout. I was stressed, unfocused, and far from the person I wanted to be.

I wanted to be a stronger leader at work—someone who inspired trust and confidence.
I wanted to be a better husband and father—present, patient, and connected.
I wanted to be physically and mentally tough—impervious to discomfort.

By this point, I had a clear vision of my ideal self and had identified the gaps holding me back. But knowing what I wanted wasn’t enough—I had to act. I had to take bold, deliberate steps toward change.

Does this sound familiar?

You’ve likely tried making changes before, and maybe those attempts didn’t stick. Why?

→ You followed someone else’s formula, not something that truly fit your life.
→ You tried habits or behaviors that didn’t align with your values.
→ You didn’t believe you were the type of person who could make those changes.

Here’s the good news: this time is different.

You’re not just adopting random self-help tips or hacks. You’re following a proven framework built on decades of research into lasting, positive change. And most importantly, you’re not just tweaking behaviors—you’re becoming the version of yourself you’ve envisioned.

Experimenting in Action: Examples from My Journey

When I started experimenting with new habits and behaviors, I focused on actions that would close the gap between who I was and who I wanted to be. Here’s what that looked like in my leadership journey:

1. Let the Team Build the Plan: "80% is a Go"

Action: I stopped micromanaging. Instead, I ensured my team understood the mission and gave them the autonomy to build their own plans. I approved plans that were 80% or better rather than demanding perfection.

Results: My team showed more ownership and engagement. They were more committed to the plans because they created them.

2. Take Extreme Ownership

Action: I adopted the mindset that any failure within my team was ultimately my responsibility. I stopped pointing fingers and started asking, “What could I have done better?”

Results: Trust and confidence in me skyrocketed, and my team began taking greater ownership of their own work.

3. Freedom to Flex

Action: I gave my team the freedom to choose when and where they worked, trusting them to find their most productive environment.

Results: Engagement and satisfaction soared, and work quality remained consistently high.

These were just a few of the experiments I ran during this phase—and each one brought me closer to the leader I envisioned.

→ Building New Habits: What You Need to Know

By now, you’ve heard the clichés: “It takes 21 days to form a habit.” Or 60. Or 10,000 hours. Honestly? It’s way more nuanced than that. Habits are as unique as the person building them.

Here’s what I’ve learned about building habits that stick:

1. Just Start.
Stop overthinking it. Perfection isn’t required—action is.

2. Miss a Day? Get Back to It.
Slipping up doesn’t mean failure. It’s the getting back up that builds momentum.

3. Don’t Rely on Motivation.
Motivation is fleeting. Discipline is your foundation. On the days when motivation fails, give yourself permission to go through the motions. Nine times out of ten, once you start, you’ll find your groove.

4. Make It Fun.
You’re not “faking it until you make it”—you’re practicing the habits of your future self. Step into that version of you and enjoy the process.

5. Adapt as You Go.
Not every habit will fit. Some routines will clash with your schedule or values. That’s fine! Experiment. Tweak. Drop what doesn’t work and double down on what does.

The Process Never Ends

Even now, I’m still experimenting. I’m still refining it. Growth isn’t a one-time project—it’s a way of life.

Through the lens of my ideal self, I’m constantly asking:

→What’s working?
→What needs to change?
→What can I try next?

Your Next Steps:

→Reflect on your vision of your ideal self.
→Identify one or two habits or behaviors to experiment with this week.
→ Start small. Start messy. Just start.

Your dream life isn’t built in a day—but it’s built one experiment at a time.

Are you ready to take the next step?

Cheers,

Jeff