Take a few minutes to envision the things you want most out of life. Who do you want to be? How do you want to feel? Where do you want to go?
This is the easy part – imagining the life you’ve always wanted. The hard part? Deciding how you are going to make it happen.
I encourage you to consider the following:
- Do you have the finances to sustain your health and your current lifestyle (ie: mortgage, childcare expenses, car payments) while also going after your dream(s)? If you can sustain your current lifestyle AND a new project or business, then go for it. If not, consider cutting out unnecessary items from your budget (ie: that monthly massage) or create a plan for embarking on your new journey once your monthly income increases. Remember that this doesn’t necessarily have to happen by getting a promotion or a new job – simply paying off debt and getting rid of monthly payments in some way will increase your monthly cash flow.
- Create a plan! I like to use SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. Any plan that you create for pursuing your dreams should include these 5 criteria. Not only does this help identify necessary details, it also makes achieving those goals more likely. Also, don’t be afraid to start small! Starting with something that you know for sure you can achieve is key – from there you can always build and strive to achieve more. Reaching small goals gives you the confidence you need to reach the big ones!
- Are you afraid of failure? Are you afraid of success? Fear can be paralyzing and what most people don’t realize is that the fear of being successful is sometimes just as debilitating as the fear of failure. Please don’t let fear get in the way. You’ve developed your talents, abilities, and views on life for a reason – that very reason could be what you are dreaming of doing. Replacing negative self-talk with positive thoughts is essential. Be aware of how you speak to yourself – would you speak to a loved one this way?
- Lastly, and most importantly, be passionate about what you do. Passion is the prerequisite for intentional actions. If your dreams live in your heart and make your soul feel alive, then you have everything you will ever need to be successful in making them happen. Acting from a place of love opens the door to so many possibilities. Yes, there may be risks associated with going after what you want most in life, but having passion first gives you the stamina to manage those risks.