Everyone deserves the life they want. A great life does not mean being a movie star or lotto millionaire, it just means being happy with who you are and what you have achieved, having positive relationships with the people you love and being able to pursue your dreams and goals. Yet sometimes life throws us curve balls and before we know it we have often let things get the better of us. In this chapter we look at how to refocus and achieve those things in life that you desire. The first step is to develop a clear vision, then form an action plan to move toward your goal, with the right tools and the right attitude you can make the changes you need to indulge, recharge and transform your life. Let’s see how!
Dreaming
“YOU must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Anon
Life can get so busy that women forget the gift of dreaming. Do you remember lying in the grass as a child looking up at the clouds? You would make up faces and stories and create dreams about who you were going to be. Or you’d tell stories about what you would do when you grew up, what sort of a house you would live in, how many children you would have. We think it’s vital to dream and important that you never stop — even if it seems like the impossible dream. Dream about what you would do if you won lotto or if time and money were no option. Don’t think about what your children, partner, husband, boss or friends would want. What would truly make YOU happy?
You may like to write your dreams down in a journal, or create a vision board. Cut out pictures, words and quotes that inspire you about the life you want to live. We both have vision boards up in our homes where we see them daily. It is amazing what happens when you get clear on what you want, and better still, visualise it with a vision board! Oh the fun of visualising and goal setting … it’s what gets us up and excited with each new day.
Goal Setting
“It isn’t hard at the top. It’s easy. It isn’t crowded and it’s really quite civilised. What’s hard is the bottom. Down there you’ll find one hundred times more competition. Down there is where people stand on your teeth so that they can get a firmer foothold on the first rung of the ladder out of hell.” Bryce Courtney
Once you let your dreams, hopes and aspirations flow freely and feel motivated enough to want to aspire to them, it is time to set goals and make a plan so that you may achieve them. Goals are dreams with a plan and a deadline. Without a plan your dreams will stay dreams. Goals are future-based targets that inspire you to live the life you have always wanted to live. But they require action to become reality.
A goal can be as simple as wanting to get from one part of the city to another by a certain time. You need a mode of transport, a street name, a map and series of directions to reach your target on time. This simple analogy can be applied to your dreams. Visualise them. Create strong pictures in your mind. See the end result. Imagine being there. Dream it in absolute and perfect detail. Then follow your plan and stick to it. Feel it. Honour yourself and celebrate each small step.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not — nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not — unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not — the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge
One thing we have learnt is that unless you are persistent and get very specific about what you want, you can’t expect results. So often we hear people say things like ‘I wonder what life has in store for me?’ or ‘I hope this New Year brings me more luck than the last one’. What if you turned those hopeful questions into stronger visions or goals? Instead of wondering what will come to you, how about wondering what YOU can bring to life? After all you are the master of your own destiny. Be brave in the pursuit of your goals. Don’t think ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’, but ‘I’ll see it when I believe it’.
As you become more aware of what you want out of life your dreams become strong visions and goals. As you put plans into place these strong visions and goals become your reality. Once it is a reality you are living your dream.
10 Steps to Achieve Your Goals
- Dream, dream, dream!
- Ask why. Put your dream onto paper and create a vision and be clear why you want to achieve it.
- Set a timeline for when you want your goal to be achieved.
- Plan how you can achieve your goal — what do you have to do?
- Break it down and create baby steps along the way if you have to.
- Acknowledge and celebrate each step as you accomplish it.
- Keep the end vision in view, especially when challenges arise.
- Be prepared and open to unexpected changes — they may be positive.
- Surround yourself with people who support you to achieve your goals.
- Never give up!
Your goals are your goals; your dreams are your dreams. They are special and they are unique to you! Don’t ever underestimate the power of having them, repeating them, visualising them!