This article is written by Katrina Ruth, founder and CEO of “The Katrina Ruth Show,” a multimillion-dollar online coaching business for entrepreneurs, and an Advisor in the The Oracles.

Are you struggling to create your dream life or business? If so, you are probably distracted by the “how.” What you should be focused on instead is identifying your calling.

1. Understand what life should feel like.

“Living on purpose” means doing what truly matters to you in alignment with your values and beliefs. I can’t tell you what that means for you, but you know it when you feel it — and when you don’t.

When you aren’t being you, everything is foggy and colorless. You’re bored and busy at the same time, always tired. Even small things feel like work. You take tests to understand why you feel down and pills to fix it. The list can go on. If you continuously ignore your higher self, it will send you nudges — even a slap in the face — to get your attention.

When you’re in alignment, life is right. Things are easy, and everything just works. You feel alive, passionate, and lit up from within. You aren’t concerned with how to get where you’re going; you’re sure of yourself, even if you’re scared at the same time.

2. Tap into your calling within.

Stop searching outside yourself for answers. There’s only one: be who you were born to be. You can find plenty of exercises online to identify your calling, but you don’t need them. Deep within, you already know what makes you feel alive. You just have to pay attention.

Not sure what your mission is? You’ll be able to put it into words when you stop worrying whether you’re saying it right or others will “get it.” However, sometimes access to your soul is blocked by confusion, especially if you’ve ignored it for a long time. In that case, practice connecting with yourself and tuning in to what’s buried there by asking, “What do I need to know or listen to here?” Then trust the answer. I find journaling to be the most powerful way to do this, but you can also do this as part of a meditation or while walking or driving.

3. Trust yourself and forget what others think.

We’re naturally intuitive before we learn “the rules.” But there’s no right or wrong way to live. If you aren’t following your intuition, you’re operating on others’ terms — and no one can tell you how to be you.

There’s always another approach to everything. I hated building marketing funnels until I started doing them my way. Visionary leaders do things differently; that’s why they stand out. They question the norm to find what’s right for them.

4. Feel the fear and take the first step anyway.

If you don’t wake up excited to start your day, rip off the bandaid. Make a change or start taking action. While maintaining alignment will take practice, you don’t have to work forever to get there.

The unknown is scary. We feel safe and comfortable with how things have always been. Fear is part of us and will always be there, but it can’t rule you unless you let it; so take action toward your goals anyway. You don’t have to know how or feel ready or worthy.

When I finally realized I wasn’t doing my soul work after struggling for years, I moved across the world to start over with my family. With almost no money, I gave myself no choice but to succeed by following my passion for helping others. It paid off, and I never looked back. While your path might not be as extreme, you do have to take the first step.

5. Rethink your to-do list.

Time is precious and you should value how you spend it. If you don’t decide what matters in advance, you’ll spend it all doing things that aren’t moving you forward. I constantly outline my goals and dreams in a document called “Creating the life I want.” I make sure I set those goals for myself (not others), identify the actions that will get me there, and schedule them each week.

Fast forward to a year from now when you’re living on purpose. Does the stuff on your to-do list today matter? Is that how you got there? Review the items on your list and either delete them, do them, or delegate them. Sometimes it’s worth paying someone else to do things so that you can focus on what really matters: the tasks that will get you where you want to go if you do them every day.

6. Check in with yourself daily.

Before you get out of bed in the morning, ask yourself what is important today. What would make you sleep well tonight? Most of the things we do all day disconnect us from ourselves, so practice tuning in. Just sit or journal whatever needs to come out for 15 minutes. Let go and ignore the outside world — even if you have to start by just noticing the world you created for yourself.

Before you make decisions or take action, ask yourself: Do I want to do this? Does this feel right? Am I excited about this? Make this a daily practice by setting reminders to check in; otherwise you’ll slip into old patterns.

7. Recognize that you have everything you need.

This may be uncomfortable at first, and it will still feel like work sometimes. But when you’re working toward the right thing, it’s worth it. You can either choose to deny yourself or say yes to your heart and soul, but you choose what you get in life. Do the work today to create the tomorrow of your dreams.

If you trust that it will work out, it will. Don’t worry if you don’t get the outcome you want today. Success takes time, which is why most people give up. You’ll never look back and think “I spent too much time being me”; so keep going. It’s impossible to fail at being you.

You have everything you need. You will become who you are meant to be when you realize who you already are.