Oct. 8, 2025 - What If Your Life Was a Dish You Designed - Not One Served to You?

Have you ever looked around at your life (your job, your routines, your responsibilities, etc.) and thought: “This is fine… but it’s not really me”?

I’ve heard this again and again from clients and workshop participants. And I’ve felt it myself, too.

Life can be comfortable, predictable, even successful on paper - yet still feel like a ready-made meal: convenient, familiar… and missing that spark that makes it truly yours!!!

The good news? You don’t have to accept that “served-to-you” version of life. You can start designing it - one small, meaningful step at a time!

🍳 Imagine the Life That Would Feel Nourishing

Before we talk about goals or action plans, I want you to pause and picture something more personal:

👉 Reflection: If your life were a dish you loved, what would it taste like? What “ingredients” would it have - security, creativity, adventure, connection, freedom?

One participant once told me:

“I realized most of the dishes I thought of are ones I wouldn’t make myself - I was waiting for others to bring them to me. But why not make my own salad?”

That’s exactly the point. You don’t need a five-year plan right now - just a sense of the flavors and textures you’d love to bring into your life. That vision, even if hazy, gives you direction.

🥄 Take Stock of What’s Already in Your Pantry

Once you’ve pictured what you want, it’s time for honesty - without judgment: Where are you right now?

👉 Reflection: What’s already nourishing in your life? What feels “expired” or under-seasoned? What’s missing entirely?

This step isn’t about criticism - it’s about clarity. As one participant put it:

“Honesty about where you are right now isn’t failure - it’s freedom.”

Maybe your career is strong but your creativity is barely present. Maybe you’re doing the bare minimum for your well-being, but it’s not really fueling you. By seeing the full picture clearly, you give yourself the starting point you need to make real progress.

🧪 Play With Possibilities - No Pressure to Get It Perfect

This is where things get fun. Instead of trying to overhaul everything, think like a chef experimenting in the kitchen.

👉 Reflection: What’s one ingredient you could add, swap, or reduce to bring more “you” into your life?

It could be small - a weekly creative project, a new learning opportunity, 15 minutes of quiet time before work. As one participant told me:

“You connected something so everyday (food) to something massive. It suddenly felt attainable.”

Remember: you don’t need a perfect plan. You just need a few possible moves that feel doable.

🍽️ Take One Small Bite – Today!

This is the part most people overcomplicate. They wait for the “right” moment, the big breakthrough, the perfect conditions. But progress doesn’t come from giant leaps. It comes from movement - even tiny steps.

👉 Reflection: What’s one action you could take today - something that takes 10 minutes or less?

It might be as simple as subscribing to a newsletter that inspires you, blocking 30 minutes on your calendar, or sending a message to someone who could support you.

One participant summed it up perfectly:

“Even one small action today - like scheduling time or setting a reminder - can be the start of meaningful change.”

🔥 Build Momentum - One Bite at a Time

Once you’ve taken that first step, the most powerful thing you can do is keep going. Reflect, adjust, and add the next small action. Over time, those small changes build into real transformation.

👉 Reflection: What’s working? What needs adjusting? And what’s one small action you’ll take next?

Think of it this way: improving even one ingredient - just a pinch - can transform the whole dish. And the same is true for your life.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about rhythm. And as one client said:

“Progress doesn’t come from doing it all at once. It comes from building momentum, one bite at a time.”

🌱 Your Turn: Start Cooking Your Own Recipe

If there’s one message I hope you take away from this, it’s this: you already have the power to design a life that feels unmistakably yours!

It doesn’t require drastic changes - just curiosity, reflection, and small, intentional actions.

And if you’d like help building that momentum - finding clarity, identifying next steps, and keeping yourself accountable - that’s exactly the kind of support I offer.

Here’s how you can keep going:

📬 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: for practical coaching insights and reflection prompts.

🍳 Join an upcoming event: to explore topics like this in an interactive setting.

🤝 Or let’s go deeper together - : book a free 30-minute call with me to explore how I can help you design (and start living) a life that truly fits you!

And stay tuned - in my next article, I’ll share the story of how I started designing my own “recipe” from scratch and the unexpected shifts it created.

Because a ready-made life might be fine… but a life you design yourself? That’s where the real flavor is!

 

I’m Christelle Soto-Suarez, Self-Leadership Awakener and Executive & Leadership Coach helping mid-level professionals take small but meaningful steps toward a career and life they truly want. Learn more at Pistachio-Cassis Coaching.