Most of us only focus on goals we believe are realistic, or reasonably within our grasp. But to achieve true success and happiness we must allow ourselves to dream about the things we really want, no matter how big these things might be. This article will help you move past your limitations and focus your energies on your highest goals.

Take just a minute to consider how you want your life to look five years from now. Think about your ideal standard of living.

How much money will you have?

What will you be doing for a living?

Where will you live and what will your home be like?

Will you have a mate or partner, and if so what will he or she be like?

Be as detailed as possible. Visualize every part of your life exactly as you want it to be five years in the future.

Once you’re done, review your vision. Are you allowing yourself to see what you truly want, or are you holding back because of the need to be "realistic"?

Here’s an easy way to find out if you’re being fully honest with yourself about what you want from life five years from now. Do the visualization exercise again, only this time pretend you could wave a magic wand and have things exactly the way you want them.

If you had a magic wand there would be no reason to limit your vision, right? So go ahead and see things the way you really want them to be.

If you don’t like the analogy of a magic wand, pretend you have made friends with a multi-billionaire who is willing to cut you a check for any amount so you can fund your dream life. If this were the case you could have pretty much anything imaginable so let go and really dream up your ultimate life.

Odds are your ideal life situation looked considerably different the second time you did the visualization exercise. By default most of us restrict ourselves when we set goals and/or think about how we want life to be; but it only takes a simple exercise to loosen these restrictions and envision the way we truly want things to be.

Another version of this exercise is to imagine how you would make your life if you were god. In this simulation you are able to cast aside any and all limitations because most people think of god as an unlimited being with unlimited power. Give this one a try and think about how you would create your life five years into the future.

Many times when people apply one of the tactics above they are shocked to see just how much they were limiting themselves before. This can be a great eye-opener that will help you remove limitations and restrictions you have been unconsciously living with.

And these exercises need not be used solely for visualizing the distant future. Five years is a great point for visualization, but you can use these liberating techniques for short-term goals as well.

Instead of setting a goal to lose five pounds, why not look at what you really need to lose and go for it? If you honestly need to lose 12 pounds then make this your goal and be confident you can do it.

Instead of wanting to make an extra $200 a month, why not find the figure that really makes you happy? Set your sights for $500, $1,000, or more!

You are the ultimate creator of your own reality. Science has proven that what appears to be the world around you is actually a series of signals and communications taking place within your brain. So there is absolutely no need to hold yourself back from wanting what you really want.

Be aware of the limits you automatically impose on your thinking over the next few weeks. When you catch yourself holding back, consciously let go and allow yourself to imagine things the way you really want to see them.

Over time you will recondition your mind to allow more expansive thinking. And before you know it you’ll be able to easily visualize your highest goals and thus begin to manifest them into your reality.