First: Do a dream download. Consider who would you love to be what would you love to do to have. That’s your passion. Think about what you are good at. That’s your talent. Reflect on what’s most important to you. Those are your values. Now, what were you born to do? That’s your destiny.

Take a blank piece of paper and put it in front of you. Set a timer or ask someone to time you for 10 minutes. Pick up a pen (not a pencil!) and write. You might make a list of dreams. Or you might describe your dream life. Or, perhaps you just answer the questions above. Whatever it is, keep writing. Don’t stop until the timer stops.

Second: Make a dream collage. Assemble a stack of magazines, blank poster board, a glue stick and a pair of scissors. Cut out pictures and create a poster of your dream life. Include pictures of whatever speaks to you.

Supersize your dream collage. Get a few friends together and each work on the project individually. Each person will create a collage of his or her life today on one side of the poster board. Assemble a dream collage on the other side of the poster board that will show your life five years from now.

Third: Talk to your friends. Chances are your friends, family and business colleagues know things about you that you don’t even know. We tend to look at ourselves through the eyes of others who have been critical of things we’ve done. Have you ever noticed how you remember the one bad comment you got about something you did and can’t for the life of you remember the dozen good comments you received?

We’re conditioned to look for the fault in ourselves. That helps us find the things we need to improve on, but it also means that we overlook the things we do well. Spend a lifetime working on your faults and you’ll live a lifetime being mediocre. Instead look for those things that you have a talent for and that you are passionate about. Chances are the things you do well will unlock the secret of your dreams.

How can you find out what those dreams are? Your friends might hold the answer — ask them. Send them a letter or e-mail and ask for their help.