Picture yourself as you approach the end of 2015 with every goal you set for the year accomplished!! Every fitness goal, every financial goal, every career goal and every family/friendship goal...
Could you handle that for 2015? or... are you rolling your eyes as you dismiss such ideas as completely impossible and not likely to happen? Why do you settle for believing it's no use and give up not bothering to think through how you might like to see yourself make new changes in 2015? Is it because...
*You've tried that before and "failed"?
*It seems like too much work or do the ideas seem too big to accomplish?
*You have lost all motivation and don't care anymore?
*You feel too old or too young?
*You've been hurt or betrayed too many times?
*You have too much responsibility?
We've all had thoughts and experiences like these and no doubt they can cause us to get stuck. But how can we turn those huge obstacles around and have hope for positive change for a brand new year?
Ask 3 questions!!!
What are these 3 questions you ask? Let me answer that after I share 2 stories with you...
A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young boy by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the boy did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked: "What did you want the most when you were there?" The boy replied: "Air!" Socrates said: "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you want the air, then you will get it. There is no other secret.
Another story...
The question was once asked of a highly successful business man, "How have you done so much in your lifetime?" He replied, "I grow great by dreams, I have turned my mind loose to imagine what I wanted to do. Then I have gone to bed and thought about my dreams. In the night I dreamt about my dreams. And when I awoke in the morning, I saw the way to make my dreams real. While other people were saying, "You can't do that, it is impossible," I was well on my way to achieving what I wanted." I took time to see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long winter's evening. Some let their dreams die, but I chose to nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days until they are brought into the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true. Sing your songs, and dream your dreams, hope your hope and pray your prayer.
If there's no limit to what a dreamer can dream why not give it a try?
There are a million stories online of people who dared to dream and find out dreams do come true. As you start reading these stories you will find yourself motivated and resolved in your belief that it's never worth it to give up on your dreams.
Back to 3 questions... Start dreaming now by asking these 3 questions...
In 6 months...
What do I want to BE?!
What to do I want to DO?!
Don't hold back... dream big! As you imagine and envision achieving a goal and get into the emotional feeling of experiencing the dream as a NOW reality you will be well on your way to achieving what you want. This is what successful goal setters do... they dream, they take action and they stay focused.
How do you stay focused?? Write down what these dreams will cost and what steps you want to take NEXT WEEK to start moving in the right direction. Make your steps practical and do-able. Writing things down, visiting your dreams often and taking specific steps forward will keep your dreams alive. Just like the successful business man..."you will grow great by your dreams." You will also have fun as you practice your new interest in developing a lively imagination and you will find new inspiration and guidance about how to keep taking steps in the right direction. When you check steps off, keep updating new steps each week to keep you moving forward. Have fun with it!
Just practicing this one discipline for 5 minutes a day is a guaranteed way to usher you to a place next year feeling surprised that every goal you set has been accomplished. You'll also feel resolved to keep believing in your dreams and to dream new dreams for the rest of your life.Make a dream journal today and get ready for 2015!!
