On the surface, you may be a fully functional, contributing member of society. But deep down you feel like something is missing. Something big.

You may not be able to quite put your finger on what exactly it is, but…there’s this stirring on the “soulular” level, and it won’t stay quiet any longer.

Whilst engaging in your usual “adulting” routine and activities, you feel a bit like a zombie, walking through life half-asleep, with a mug of coffee in one hand and a tech device in the other.

Sure, you’re paying your bills. Sure, you schedule in some “play” time or a vacation here and there, but you feel stuck in this hamster wheel of life, going through the motions, but not quite living in a way that seems meaningful to you.

So how exactly do you know if you’re in serious need of a personal reboot? Check out the below scenarios and corresponding steps to remedy the issue.

Dilemma #1: You feel disenchanted and disconnected.

You are not living on purpose or full out. There’s this underlying feeling of apathy which pervades all aspects of life and everything you do. Sometimes you even lose hope and wonder if you could ever break free from the hamster wheel.

You’re not sure what your next move is and how you could go about bridging your dreams with reality.

Step 1: Get Inspired.

Obviously, this can take so many forms. Read a book, listen to music or a podcast, engage in any art form, watch a Ted Talk…well, you get the idea.

Find a motivational quote, mantra, or affirmation and stick it somewhere you’ll see daily. You could use it as your desktop or cell phone background or just simply write it down on a post-it note (or use virtual post-it notes on your computer).

This is two-fold: also, be sure to seek inspiration through connecting with others. Find a community with like-minded, similar souls. Join a Meetup group, take a class in the community, or pursue your soul tribe online to find great connections through Facebook groups or forums.

Finding small tidbits of inspiration wherever you can and connecting with kindred spirits on similar paths can help to keep you on track and move towards the liberation you crave.

Dilemma #2: You feel anxious and depressed.

You feel “stuck” In your current circumstances and anxious about the future. You may feel this way because you know deep down that you have a valuable contribution to make to this world but may not know exactly what that is right now. All you know is that you’re not living a life that truly lights you up.

Don’t get me wrong; we all have our “off” days. But if you’re not aligned with a meaningful existence…it hurts. And the anxiety or depression may be a direct reflection of your existential crisis.

Step 2: Get Clarity.

How so, you ask? Well, the answer might surprise you: to gain more clarity, start by physically decluttering your living or work space.

In the popular practice of Feng Shui, the underlying philosophy is that your space reflects (and effects) your life. Yes, pretty straightforward. So, if you have piles of papers and random stuff littered throughout your space, not only is it unpleasant to look at, but your psyche is negatively impacted by all the visual chaos (whether you’re conscious of it or not).

Actually, clutter has even been shown to directly impact mood and stress levels. Per a study conducted by UCLA researchers, a link was found between a female homeowner’s level of cortisol (the stress hormone), and a number of objects in a home—the more objects, the higher the cortisol.

Therefore, decluttering is an excellent way to de-stress while gaining some additional clarity to jumpstart your life.

Plan to clear a large surface area like a tabletop, desk, or counter. Go through piece by piece and recycle, toss, or donate all that is not serving your greater good. Make sure the things you are left with either serve a specific function or “spark joy” within you (as renowned Japanese organizational expert, Marie Kondo, brilliantly advises in her bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up).

After clearing some space, you may choose to add in a lil’ inspiration, like the motivational quote we discussed in Step 1, or really anything that inspires or empowers you. Think about how you can help create more of a sanctuary in your personal and professional environment. This will help lift your space (and mind) to a higher vibration. As they say, out with the old, in with the new.

Continue clearing other surface areas, or head to more “advanced” areas, like closets, basements, and attics! It’s amazing how you can feel so much lighter and energized when you clean up and clear out some sacred space for yourself.

Decluttering your physical space has the power to free up some mental space in your head. After doing some clearing, contemplate a few probing questions, such as:

• What exactly do I want in life?
• Why do I want that?
• What would a day in this ideal life look like?

Dilemma #3: You are (secretly) afraid of change.

You feel like there may be repercussions for going against the status quo of what you’re used to doing, that if you go after your most precious dream it might upset other aspects of life that are “just fine the way they are, thank you very much!”

Truth is, resistance to change is perfectly normal. It’s just your primitive, reptilian part of your brain trying to keep you safe (the brainstem and the cerebellum, to be exact). Basically, its purpose is to protect us by keeping us in patterns that are familiar and therefore considered safe. It is just our survival instinct kicking in. Unfortunately, anything that pops up as unfamiliar gets classified as “risky” or “unsafe.”

Step 3: Get Going.

Well, isn’t it time to break free of some of those patterns if they’re not making you happy? The only way to combat this is to get moving and face the fear—but do it anyways. To paraphrase the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus: the only constant in life is change.

Yes, it takes a great deal of courage to go against our nature. And yes, change can be uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as looking back at your life and wishing you had done things differently.

So, let’s get real. To do that, you need to create a plan around your vision. Again, take some time to contemplate these questions:

• If you had no limits, what dream life would you design for yourself?
• What’s the cost of you NOT attempting to go after this vision?
• What will be your life experience if you choose to ignore the call of this dream and not go for it?

Listen, we all have a default future that will occur if we don’t change up anything in our lives. But what if you did go for it, and were successful, what might you experience then? What would it feel like? What would it look like?

Thoughts become things, so feel free to write down your ponderings so you can refer back to them often. Choose an intention or goal to work towards that moves you into closer alignment with your dream.

In short, if you’re looking to reboot your life: get inspired, get clear, and get going! Just be sure to stay connected to some high vibes and trust that the Universe has got your back!

Going after a dream has a price. It may mean abandoning our habits, it may make us go through hardships, or it may lead us to disappointment, et cetera. But however costly it may be, it is never as high as the price paid by people who didn’t live it.

– Paulo Coelho, Adultery