All of us want to achieve particular things in our lives. It’s the nature of human beings to always think, create, innovate. We want to move the external pieces, create new pieces, combine them in new and interesting ways—whether that has to do with family, career, art, or public service.

But it’s interesting to remember that everything that exists began with an idea. So instead of starting with figuring out how to re-arrange the pieces of your life in a different pattern, or create new pieces, start with how you feel. Because why do you want to change your outer world, transition into a new career, begin a course of study, become an entrepreneur, or launch into an artistic project? To see results that will make you feel better in some way.

You’ll gain a sense of satisfaction from whatever you create. Your life will feel more complete. You’ll bring happiness or benefit to others. You’ll make something beautiful that others will enjoy.

Yet when you initiate change it can feel difficult, frustrating, or impossible. You carry these feelings inside of you while you’re striving to create something in the outer world that will improve the feeling of your inner world.

Why not start by cultivating your inner world? Cultivate means to prepare, as in preparing the ground to grow seeds that will turn into plants. To cultivate the ground means you have to till the soil, turn it over, break it up so that it is receptive to the seeds you plant.

How can you till the soil of your inner being to prepare it to receive new ideas, and better grow the ones you have already planted?

Here’s one simple way. Before you go to sleep at night, imagine how you would feel if your desire were fulfilled, if your project were already completed. The writer named Neville said:

“Feeling a state produces that state. The part you play on the world’s stage is determined by your conception of yourself. By feeling your wish fulfilled and quietly relaxing into sleep, you cast yourself in a star role to be played on earth tomorrow; and while asleep you are rehearsed and instructed in your part.”

So cultivate the feeling you would have if your desire were already fulfilled, your task accomplished. Then the ways and means of acting to make this happen in the outer world will come to you more readily. You’ll get the right ideas, in the right time, in the right way, and take the actions to proceed.

“The acceptance of the end automatically wills the means of realization.” –Neville