Billionaire

When was the last time you looked at your goals? Was it in December? …December five years ago? It’s too easy to live day-to-day, putting out fires and just surviving. How often do you daydream? Remember when you were a kid and you could look ahead to the things you wanted to have and what you wanted to be when you grew up? I’m not sure who to fault for the majority of us abandoning those childhood dreams and goals we had to be “more reasonable.”

The point is, many of us have throttled our goals and imposed limiting-beliefs on ourselves. We’ve created dialogs around success as being our current salary plus a two-percent cost of living increase, a reasonable pension (should we live long enough), and another year of job security. Why does the child in us who wanted to be an astronaut, have a castle for a house, and drive a flying car allow us to settle on such mediocrity?

I challenge you today, right now, to dream big again. Go ahead… do it right now… I’ll wait. It’s harder than you remember. Isn’t it? When we were kids, we read fiction, watched cartoons, and daydreamed big things. Yet as we age, it seems we forget how to dream big, or worse, we program ourselves to dream small.

I want to take you on an adventure. Get in a comfortable place… not at the office… not in the car. Find a place in your house or a park; someplace you can totally relax and feel comfortable closing your eyes. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath in through your nose, slowly to the count of four, and fill your lungs, until it gets uncomfortable. Hold your breath to the count of four. Now slowly release your breath through your mouth to the count of four. Totally exhale all of the air from your lungs and rest to the count of four. Repeat this breathing exercise until you are totally relaxed.

Once you have found calm in your breath, take note of the sensations around you. Is it hot? Is it cold? Is there a breeze tickling the hairs on the back of your neck? Focus on only your immediate surroundings. Remember what it was like to be a kid again; when all that mattered was what was happening right in that moment. Settle in and let your mind wander. Daydream! Undoubtedly, you will find yourself thinking of something, someone, or someplace that makes you happy. Perhaps its been a while since you’ve done this and you are out of practice. It’s okay… You’ll find your way back.

Explore that feeling and even allow yourself to live out a short story. Be intentional about using this daydream to picture what it is that brings a smile to your face. Who do you need to be to experience that joy? What are the things you need to do to live that life? How will you achieve this picturesque life?

I highly recommend having a journal or something to write on as you come out of this experience. Once you have ended your daydream, get intentional about the feeling you’ve experienced and the joy you felt. Jot down the feelings you experienced. If you are more visual, jot down what you saw around you. Unleash your childhood creativity and write a narrative for the person who feels that great and leads that life. Where do they live? What do they like? Who surrounds them? What do they do for fun? What is their purpose?

If you can paint this picture for yourself, you are close to identifying your “someday” goals. It’s okay if you don’t know how long it will take you to get there. It’s better if you don’t know. If you are only thinking out to the next year or two of possibility, you have not challenged yourself enough. Once you identify your someday goals, you are ready to focus these goals and determine the steps you need to take to make them your reality.

Your next step is to check out my Halftime Goal Setting class, being taught live on Zoom, for Free! If you cannot make it or if you are reading this after July 14, 2020, please contact me. I will offer you more support in identifying and accomplishing your goals. Click the button below to enroll in my goal setting class.