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

  1. Dream, dream, dream!
  2. Ask why. Put your dream onto paper and create a vision and be clear why you want to achieve it.
  3. Set a timeline for when you want your goal to be achieved.
  4. Plan how you can achieve your goal — what do you have to do?
  5. Break it down and create baby steps along the way if you have to.
  6. Acknowledge and celebrate each step as you accomplish  it.
  7. Keep the end vision in view, especially when challenges arise.
  8. Be prepared and open to unexpected changes — they may be positive.
  9. Surround yourself with people who support you to achieve your goals.
  10. 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!