We all have dreams, expectations and goals that we want to accomplish. You have dreams or deep seeded desires that fit into a long range of categories.
• Financial Accomplishment Dreams (Like a desired Net Worth)
• Activities Dreams (Like Skydiving)
• Travel Dreams (Like Backpacking through Europe)
• Things Dreams (Like a Mercedes S-500)
• Relationship Dreams (Like a Spouse that are passionate about and shares your values)
• Health Dreams (Like a desired body weight)
These dreams are not new to you, they are deep seeded desires that you have had in your subconscious for a long time. Writing a dreams list has a powerful effect on you if you really believe that you can obtain the dreams you write down on paper. I am going to write a series of articles in the next few weeks on the subject of the attainment of dreams and goals. There is a difference between the two. I will also describe how to set goals, and create an action plan for its attainment. These are all part of what we will call your life’s blueprint. Just like when I built my first house at age 19, I knew I needed a set of blueprints that guided me in how to build my home. You too need a blueprint for your life. If you don’t plan things they more than likely won’t happen.
I first learned the strategies for planning events in my life, when I read the book “Super Self” by the late Charles Givens. He discusses in detail how to plan your life and reach anything in your hearts desires by following specific actions. I took this to heart and made my own dreams list. A dreams list is different than goals. A goal is more specific with a set time for its achievement. We will discuss the goals and do a goal setting session in my upcoming articles.
From the book “Super Self” Charles says “Your dreams list is an outline of the major events, scenes, and experiences in the most successful and satisfying life you can imagine for yourself, unaffected by any current realities, family circumstances, level or lack wealth, past or present pressures, or your own current level of confidence or ability.” In other words you have permission to dream big and imagine a life that would be the perfect life for your dreams despite where you are now in your life. You become successful by clearly defining what you want.
One day I was feeling bad for myself because I felt like I was not as accomplished as I could be. I grabbed one of my old notebooks and started reading off some of my dreams from my list, that at the time I wrote them seemed like a distant shot. I was so surprised to see I had accomplished a fair percentage of my dreams list to include:
• I had traveled to England and Scotland and visited Stone Henge.
• I had a home with a pool in Las Vegas.
• I was driving a Mercedes (Although a C series)
• I had a successful Real Estate Practice.
Our brains being the goal striving mechanism that they are, I had subconsciously gravitated toward dreams that I had crystallized by putting on paper. Together we will compose a dreams list that will contain the following five categories:
• What would you like to have or own?
• What would you like to do or create?
• Where would you like to go or travel?
• What would you like to be or become?
• What would you like to contribute to others?
Take all the random desires out of your head and put them on paper to make it feel real. Do this without thinking of limits or reasons as to why you won’t achieve them. You can decide later on, if the reward is worth the risk or not on some of your dreams. For now think like a kid in a toy store and grab anything you want.
Here are steps to making the first part of your blueprint; the Dreams List
1. Get a notebook and a pen. Find a quiet place and eliminate all distractions.
2. Write on the Top of the page; “My Dreams List”
3. Write on the next line: “If I had unlimited time, talent, money, knowledge, self confidence, and support from my family, here is a list of everything I would have and do in my life.”
4. Start writing your dreams down without contemplating the probabilities. Use your imagination and feel the emotions as you write them down. Examples are:
a. Visit Machu Picchu
b. Own a home on a lake.
c. Own and operate a multi-million dollar business.
d. Run in a marathon.
5. Keep writing without any reservations and put whatever feels like something you like to do, be or have.
6. It is only a dreams list if what you write down gets you truly excited.
Once you have put your full thought and effort into creating a dreams list, you now have a document from which to start your journey. Some of the things you put on paper may seem outrageous, but that is ok. Everything you have ever done or accomplished in your life started once as a dream or idea in your head. For the same reason, these dreams are meant to inspire and capture your possibilities. You will feel great. Some of the things on your dreams list could be something that you will attain in 20 years and some are things that you work on immediately. We will discover in the next article “Designing Your Life’s Purpose”
Your Dream list will be a lifelong document that you carry around with you. If you believe in it, it can be so. You can ad dreams whenever they occur to you or you can eliminate some from your list as you see fit. Only eliminate a dream if you are no longer inspired by it. Your ideas and values change as you get older and some things might not be as important to you later on. This is okay. These are your dreams and they only belong to you.