We all want to live a life that feels fulfilling, exciting, and aligned with our deepest desires.
But most of us are stuck in the grind—doing what we should do, living the way we think we should live, but not really thinking about whether any of it is making us truly happy.
Here’s the thing: Designing a life you love is way easier than you think.
It’s not about waiting for the perfect moment or “perfect” circumstances.
It’s about taking intentional action, aligning your daily habits with your true desires, and simplifying things to focus on what really matters.
So, how do you get from where you are now to a life you truly love?
Let me introduce you to a game-changing exercise I recently learned from Ali Abdaal: The Ideal End State Exercise.
It’s a simple, straightforward way to bring clarity to your life and make sure you’re taking action in the right direction.
What Is the Ideal End State Exercise?
The Ideal End State Exercise is exactly what it sounds like.
It’s about getting clear on what you really want your life to look like.
Not the version of your life you’ve been told to want, but the version that aligns with your deepest desires.
Here’s how it works:
- Sit down and write a list of what your ideal life would look like—be specific.
- Get into the details: What would your day look like? Who are you with? How are you feeling? What are you doing?
- Be brutally honest with yourself: Is the life you're living now actually in line with what you want? If not, why not?
The goal is to create a vision of your ideal life that makes sense for you.
This is about clarity—not just fluff. The beauty of this exercise is that it highlights any gaps between what you say you want and what you're actually doing.
The Power of Specificity
Take it from Kevin Dalstrom.
This guy’s not just some entrepreneur—he’s a rock climber at an elite level, an investor, a family man, and a four-time founder.
And how does he keep everything balanced? By regularly practicing the Ideal End State Exercise.
His ideal life looks something like this:
- A big family with a home that’s open to friends and loved ones.
- The freedom to travel whenever he wants (hello, private jet dreams).
- A healthy body that allows him to enjoy life, play sports, and pursue rock climbing.
- A business portfolio that gives him financial freedom and the ability to make a real impact.
This isn’t about living some impossible dream. It’s about identifying what’s important to you and building a life around it.
Are Your Actions in Line With Your Desires?
This exercise is incredibly useful because it forces you to confront something uncomfortable:
The gap between what you say you want and what you’re actually doing.
Let’s say you're someone who says they want more freedom and to spend more time with family, but you’re spending all of your evenings and weekends working overtime.
Or maybe your dream is to work remotely so you can travel the world, but you’re still holding on to a 9-to-5 office job with little flexibility.
These kinds of actions don’t align with the life you say you want.
They’re the disconnects in your life—the habits, distractions, and decisions that don’t align with your true goals.
By doing the ideal end state exercise, you can identify these mismatches and either adjust your goals or your actions to align them better.
Small Actions Lead to Big Results
Here’s the thing: You don’t need to make massive changes all at once.
Small, consistent actions create momentum.
And momentum leads to motivation, not the other way around. That’s why starting small is so important.
When you do something small, like downloading an app to block distractions or setting a simple goal for the day, you build confidence.
You prove to yourself that you can take control. This momentum makes it easier to tackle bigger tasks down the road.
That’s exactly what Kevin Dalstrom did.
He aligned his actions with his ideal life. He didn’t wake up one day and go, “I’m going to live the perfect life.”
Instead, he created a vision and took consistent steps toward it, no matter how small. And over time, those small actions created a life that felt in balance.
The Importance of Daily Habits
One thing you’ll notice as you work through the Ideal End State exercise is that it’s not just about big dreams.
It’s about daily habits that align with those dreams.
For example, if you want a healthy life, you have to make it a part of your daily routine. If you want freedom, you need to make time for it.
Kevin’s ideal life wasn’t just about big milestones—it was about consistently making choices that put him on the path toward those milestones.
Here’s how to make that happen:
- What’s one small action you can take today that will move you closer to your ideal life?
- What’s one big action you could take this week that’ll create even more momentum?
Start with a small win, like making a decision that aligns with your ideal life.
Then, go for a bigger one.
Over time, these actions will compound and lead to bigger changes.
Focus on What Truly Matters
The Ideal End State Exercise isn’t just about daydreaming. It’s about clarifying your priorities and making sure your actions reflect those priorities.
It’s about asking yourself: What do I want really want, and how can I start aligning my actions with that?
So, get specific.
What does your ideal life look like? What’s not on the list, and what’s holding you back from getting there?
This exercise works because it provides clarity. And clarity is power.
When you know exactly what you want, it’s much easier to take action that brings you closer to that vision.
Action Step:
Here’s a challenge for you:
Write down what your perfect life would look like. Get specific. Then, evaluate your current actions. Are they aligned with your goals?
If not, what changes can you make today?
Trust me, the clarity you’ll gain will help you build momentum toward the life you truly want.
This post was inspired by Ali Abdaal's video How to Design Your Dream Life (in 7 Minutes).
