Complacency is the Devil

Before I get into how to turn dreams into a reality, I must share my weekend successes and to let you all know that…

Change is good and change is underway…..in a big way!!

First, I booked a trip to St. Louis over spring break with my girls.  I have never taken them on a trip alone except to Minnesota to see family, so this is the first (of many) trip on our own.  We will be taking the train from KC to St. Louis, spending the night in a “fancy” hotel, taking in some of the sights of St. Louis then returning home on the train.  I am a little nervous because it is just me taking them, but it is going to be a great adventure and the girls are super excited.  This is totally taking me out of my comfort zone and it feels GREAT!

Second, I took the girls to yoga class this morning.  It was at Maya Yoga, downtown KC and it was an Introduction to Ashtanga class.  Saturday night we reviewed the proper way to breath (they thought it was silly), painted our toenails (class is barefoot so our toes need to look good), and talked about how important yoga is to our life.   They said they were excited to go, but I was not convinced.  Well, it went great!   They completed the entire class, kept up with the class (for the most part), and got a little sweaty.  And they got a nice complement from a gentleman in the class and Cate was just beaming.  Best part was that they both said they want to go again and attend the meditation class that follows the yoga class.  On the drive home my Cate, who is a self-proclaimed fashionista, announced that she now needed yoga clothes and a new yoga mat.  Done deal I told her.  These are the benefits of leaving the comfort zone and putting family first.

As a mother and a big influence in the lives of my children, I feel it is important to expose my girls to as many things as possible.  They both have a zest for life and I cannot wait to plan more activities with them.  I love being a mom!!

Now back to turning your dreams into reality.

Here are some tips to taking all your dreams and turning those dreams into reality.  Here are three ways to move towards the realization of our goals.

Total Clarity:  Before we do anything else, we need to clearly define exactly what our goal is.  This is not the time for generalities; we need to be very specific.  One of the best ways for you to get really clear is to write down a detailed description of what you want to accomplish.

Writing things down requires that we get a well-defined mental image first. The very process of putting our thoughts into words creates clarity.  This clarity will help you to form a vivid mental image that you can carry around with you 24 hours a day.  Most of the time your personal reference to your new goal will be that mental image, but you will also be able to refer back to the written description to help you maintain clarity.

One of the most powerful things you can include when writing down your goals and dreams is how they make you feel.  The feelings you attach to the things you intend to accomplish are your greatest source of motivation and energy.  So, be sure to include your feelings in your written description.  Think carefully about each aspect of this future reality.  How does it make you feel? What emotional anchors resonate with each detail?  Write them down.

As you read back through your written description, allow yourself to experience those feelings and get emotionally involved in the picture.  When you conjure up this mental image of how your life is going to be, fully experience it on an emotional level.  This is the true power of having clearly defined goals, and identifying your emotional attachments to them.

Take Action:  Now that you can see and feel your goal with clarity, it is time to begin moving towards it.  What steps do you need to take to move you closer to realizing this dream?  What sequence do those steps need to be in to produce your intended result?  What action can you take each and every day to keep you moving in the right direction?  Writing these things down will produce clarity.  It is much easier to take action when you know what actions need to be taken.

Reaching your goals means that you need to take the proper actions at the right time.  There is a natural sequence that will produce your intended result. Following the right sequence allows events to unfold in a very productive way.  Always take time to create an action plan. Not only will it keep you moving in the right direction, but it will also allow you to anticipate what comes next.

Of course, we can’t anticipate everything, and we need to be willing to make adjustments along the way. That’s the beauty of having an action plan, it allows us to be flexible without getting too far off course.  So, even though we will need to make minor adjustments, a plan keeps us heading in the right direction until we reach our goal.

Attract your dream to you:  Now that you know exactly where you are going, how you feel about it, and how you are going to get there, what is next?  When we started out there was distance between you and the goal you are working toward.  You have been actively closing that distance by moving toward your vision for the future.  Now it is time to draw your dream towards you.

How can you do that?  It is really just a matter of perspective.  Up until now, you have been projecting yourself into this vision that exists in the future, but let’s reverse that.  Instead of projecting yourself into a future reality, allow yourself to receive that reality in the present tense.

See yourself as stationary and your goal as something that moves toward you, and then surrounds and engulfs you.  Wrap yourself up in it like a giant blanket.  Feel the joy of receiving that vision.  Imagine how wonderful it feels to have the reality of that vision totally permeate your life right now.  Feel it in the here and now.

Become Unstoppable

Changing your reality to fit your dreams is no simple task.  Because reality is a ruthless tormentor, there will be few opportunities to take command. But if you take advantage of the few that exist and bar reality from within and without, there will be no stopping you.

 “When you set goals, something inside of you starts saying, "Let's go, let's go," and ceilings start to move up." ~ Zig Ziglar

Here’s to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa