We all have different aspirations in life so our definition of “living the dream” is going to be different from one person to the next. To some, it can mean being rich and having financial freedom. To others, it can mean working in their dream career. Yet, to another, it can simply mean living the life they want.
What does living the dream mean to you?
Forget about anyone else’s “perfect” life, and ask yourself what really matters to you? What would make you think to yourself every day that life is good? What would make you wake up each morning and think to yourself that you’ve finally made the life you want to live?
For most, living the dream means they have achieved their goals in life.
It is fine to dream big but in reality, you want to be setting yourself goals as they are going to be more achievable than dreams. With dreams, your imagination can run riot – you win the lottery, you buy a mansion and you retire early. But with goals, you have clear targets which are going to be based on reality – earn more money so you can retire earlier, for example.
How do I set my goals?
The first step is to decide what your goals are. Then you need to break down your goal into the steps you need to take to achieve the end result. Make a plan of how to complete each step and start making progress.
Writing all this down helps keep you focused on your results. There are many methods of charting your goals and steps, it’s a case of finding what works for you. I like to use a simple flowchart but if you really want to go in-depth, take a look at GoalBuddy (non-affiliate link).
Make sure that you refer to your goal chart regularly to keep yourself on track and to remind yourself what you need to focus on. Your goals could be as simple as clearing out your house to getting a dream job to buying a new house to financial freedom. Whatever your goals are, they’re unique to you and it shouldn’t matter if other people aren’t supportive of them though having at least one person support you will help.
What happens if I fail to reach my goals?
Life has a way of throwing us curveballs which can set us off course or overtime, our priorities change. Or perhaps our goals turn out to be too far out of reach. Our goals need to be fluid to adapt to change. It’s not a failure if we don’t achieve a goal, we just need new steps or a new goal. A goal is just that, something to strive for but quite often, just making the journey towards them is achievement enough.
What if I achieve all of my goals?
Well, there are always new goals, right? If you have achieved all of your goals then that is fantastic but there’s always more in life that can be achieved. Always striving to better ourselves keeps us motivated. Or perhaps now is the right time to take a break, pat yourself on the back and give yourself a well-earned rest.
