A lot of times when we’re unhappy in life, we also feel stuck and drained of energy.

It can feel like a monumental task to actually get moving in a direction that brings us joy and fulfillment.

But it doesn’t have to be.

My favorite way to infuse new energy, creativity and possibilities in my life – and those of my clients’ – takes very little effort, and may surprise you.

All it takes is tuning into your curiosity and intuition, and doing a quick scan of your world.

Here’s how to get started:

What’s recently caught your attention or intrigued you?

What keeps resurfacing as something you'd love to spend more time doing or investigating?

Where have you felt a twinge of excitement and energy?

I want you to chase these ideas down their little rabbit holes, even if they seem weird, or frivolous.

Alice in Wonderland followed her White Rabbit down a hole that led to an amazing adventure. And when you follow what piques your curiosity, you follow it to new opportunities.

When we get stuck and miserable in life, we often feel trapped. Like there's no way out of our situation toward what we really want. We look around and can't find the path forward or the escape hatch.

But that's exactly what your odd interest is: It’s a new direction that's calling you.

Everyone has inner voices that are signaling to them what’s right for them and which way they should go. Yet the biggest difference between people who stay stuck and people who live their dreams is that the latter actually takes directions from that inner voice.

They know that their inner voice signals the way forward to a future that is authentically and joyfully their own, no matter how different they are from what others expect or the status quo.

If you want to be someone who lives their own truth and dreams, you've got to start giving weight to your hunches and funny interests and taking action on them.

The year-long sabbatical that transformed my life started out as a tiny voice inside that kept insisting: "You've always wanted to take time off to travel and explore. Plus, this life you have here, it's not exactly what you wanted, is it?"

It was insanely difficult to follow that inner voice, when I was at a high point in my career and had a comfortable and outwardly successful life. I was often wracked by fear and self-doubt.

But I did it.

I left my career and life in Portland, Oregon, to take some time off and essentially learn how to truly tap into the guidance of that inner voice.

It didn't let me down.

It led me to love, a new home and work that better fit my values – and finally, to the family that I had long dreamed of having.

Try this: Scan for the Rabbits in Your Life

What's one kinda oddball thing that you've been really excited about lately? What crazy idea would you like to pursue?

Click here for a 5-minute exercise where I’ll help you scan for all the “rabbits” in your life right now. I recorded this video as part of a recent interview with the Remote Pathways podcast, talking about how I’ve kept my own sense of personal and professional possibility fresh while remote working, both before and during the pandemic.

After you’ve identified a few of your rabbits that your curiosity would love to follow, plan what you’ll do next.

What's one way you could take it just one step further?

Maybe it's simply telling a friend about it and hearing what it sounds like when you get it out of your head. Maybe it's signing up for a class.

Find one small action to give it a bit more substance and see what happens next!

These nudges lead to personal and professional goldmines, and the most wonderful adventures.