How to Start Dreaming
Goal Setting 101
Hi, I’m Lindy the founder of Create Financial Planning and I like to say, “Life Curves”. I used to be a little bit jealous of the person who married their college sweetheart, had two kids, were practically guaranteed grandkids, knew what they wanted to do, had the support of their family, and did it for their entire working lives. My life has not been that straight forward. It’s been a winding road. Thank goodness.
I would have been so bored. It’s not that I create drama. I just have this drive that I want to keep growing and learning and improving... not that they (those whom I was jealous of who knew their path) don’t share that desire to learn and grow. I’m creative and I’m organized. I love routine and I hate rules that have no meaning. I like to paint with a wide brush, and I love Excel TM spreadsheets. I love surprises and I hate last minute changes to the plan. I see black and white, and I see life in color. One thing this life has taught me is that I can do it. I’ve set my mind to some things and have found a way. I want you to have the confidence that you can too.
How often have you found yourself thinking “if I only had money…” I’d start my own business… I’d live on my own… I’d travel… I’d write, paint, sculpt, shoot photos, make giant metal sculptures, buy an abandoned church, I’d rescue all the cats… One thing I’ve learned is that “prosperity” is having the money to live life on your terms, where “wealth” is accumulation. The inherent ideal of wealth building tends to lead to a feeling of not being able to let go and thrive. If you have prosperity, you potentially need less to be happy, yet what you desire is at your fingertips, you are the creator of your ideal life.
We are just meeting so I do not know your dreams yet. You do. I hope you do. I encourage you to dream.
Once you have a thing – a specific thing that you can write down, say out loud to yourself, a direction you are moving, something you are reaching for, then it’s so much easier to work towards that dream and make individual choices that bring you closer. Anais Nin said, “And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
My fist task on Creating Your Dream Life is… knowing what is your dream.
If you do, you are miles ahead of so many who have been too afraid to allow themselves to dream.
If you haven’t had your epiphany yet... What Color is Your Parachute by Richard N Bolles has tools to help you figure out (and I’ve added additional comments):
1. What interests you the most (What are you doing where time stops)?
a. What do you do that makes you feel happiest / proudest / accomplished?
b. What thing do you do easily that people come to you for your help?
2. The type of people you want around you (if any)
3. What can you do AND enjoy doing? (Not what are you good at and dread doing.)
4. How and where do you like to be productive?
a. Is it a place? Will you travel?
b. A time of the day? Are you at your best a 6 AM, 10 AM, 8 PM, or 2 AM?
c. How does your work time fit in with your other values and relationships?
d. How long do you want to work at a time?
i. What does your ideal day / week / month / year look like?
e. Are you productive at certain times of the year?
5. How much income you would like?
a. How much income do you need?
b. What things in your life that you are spending your time, money, or energy on now that do not support this goal?
6. Where you would like to live (I think this should be closer to the top of the list)
7. Your philosophy, goal, or mission for life
a. What impact do you want to have?
b. On what do you want to have an impact?
c. What is the thing that you are making better or the problem you are solving?
i. Simply making the world a more authentic beautiful place is an answer.
d. What standard do you have for yourself?
What would prevent you from reaching this goal?
What’s the worst thing that could happen?
How have your thoughts limited you? What is the story you are telling yourself that has prevented you from doing this?
What is the truth?
What is the best thing that could happen?
SMART goals – Image Courtesy of Indeed Career Guide:
1. Decide. Think of something you want to do or work towards. ...
2. Write it down. Carefully. ...
3. Tell someone. Telling someone we know about our goals also seems to increase the likelihood that we will stick at them.
4. Break your goal down. This is especially important for big goals. ...
5. Plan your first step. ...
6. Keep going. ...
7. Celebrate. Courtesy of Google – 7 steps of goal setting
Suzy Kassem said:
Once you have your dream – let’s start talking about your business plan, how to save to get there, and what to do next to get this life started.