We often go through life wishing for a better future, or at least one that we've always dreamed of. When we travel along our paths and learn more with age, we sometimes forget what we once thought was the most important thing in the world.

Hopefully some day I will stumble upon this article and read these reminders of how to continue living my dream. I encourage you, my readers, to use my list or create your own as a continuous reminder to follow your goals.

1. Be successful.

You have too much more going for you to be a couch potato at thirty. Life can get rough but there’s a reason you put yourself through all the stress. The mansion, cars, yachts, and name brand shoes aren’t going to buy themselves.

2. Travel as much as physically possible.

I would rather you come home and eat ramen for a week if it meant you could save enough money to travel somewhere new. Life is short and there is so much to see.

3. Don’t work, do what you love.

Why work a nine to five if you dread getting up and are miserable at the end of the day. I don’t care if along the way you become passionate about trash and want to become a garbage man, if it’s what you love, DO IT.

4. Don’t be afraid to try new things.

How do you know that you don’t like it if you haven’t tried it? Go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?

5. Be Adventurous.

Just because you’re old now doesn’t mean you should stop going on late night adventures or spontaneous trips. I don’t care if you’re tired, you can sleep when you’re dead.

6. Be with someone who respects you.

You are amazing and if the person you love doesn’t see that, then they don’t really love you. Be with someone who adores you for you and appreciates all your craziness. If they don’t cheer you on when you achieve even just the smallest goal, then he’s got to go. See ya later. You won’t be missed.

7. It’s OK to be selfish sometimes.

I don’t mean buying yourself things, I mean making choices that benefit you. Yes, it’s great to make other people happy, but this is also your life and only you know what will truly make you happy, so sometimes just do what you want to do.

8. Spoil yourself, you deserve it.

Go get your nails done or buy yourself few unnecessary items. It makes you and your closet feel happy and what could be wrong with that? Plus, there’s always a good reason to by another pair of shoes.

9. Be yourself no matter what.

You aren’t living your life if you’re not being yourself. You would be living a fake life, of a person that you’re not. Be opinionated and open minded. Be yourself whether it’s at the gas station, a job interview, your mother-in-law's house or at the White House. Just be you.

10. Be kind and laugh as much as possible.

There’s not enough hours in the day or days in the year to waste time being angry or irritated with other people. Does the person in front of you in line at the grocery store who is taking forever to check out really affect your life? No. So, smile, and compliment those around you. Make another person’s day better.

11. Always be the best you can be.

Stay healthy, don’t stop going to the gym, and always try your hardest. Why do something if you’re not going to do it to the fullest? You can do anything you put your mind to and there’s so much I want you to do in life, so you better get started.