Treasure Your Dreams

I was sitting here in my office, playing around on the computer and just enjoying my Saturday afternoon and I felt compelled to share my thoughts with you –

In my office, I have a wall that is plastered with photos on bright colored paper — these are all pictures of my dreams.

I have my dream barn… my dream car… my dream check… my dream home in the mountains…my dream flat in Paris… just to name a few.

The coolest part about these dreams is that each and every one of them has a date. A “Target Date” for when I will reach that goal. When working towards your dreams, a deadline is necessary — a goal without a deadline is nothing but a wish.

Personally, I love dreaming. Maybe a little too much sometimes! I could sit for hours and just imagine where I see my life heading over the next 5, 10 even 20 years.

But even more than dreaming, I LOVE goals — because unlike dreams, goals are something you have dreamt in your head, put down on paper and are taking the action steps to achieve. People sometimes go their whole lives without achieving their dreams — and what they don’t realize is that by simply putting it on paper, and adding a deadline to it they have increased its likelihood a hundred fold.

What’s exciting for me is to look at these goals on my wall — some of which I have had for several years now, and realize how CLOSE some of them are! Sitting here, I can count 2 that I will reach before the end of this calendar year. Another, that will be realized NEXT year — and ALL of them within the next 5 years.

When I look at these goals, I literally get goosebumps at the thought of what my life will look like 5 years from now once they have all been achieved. To be honest, I won’t even recognize it.

What about you? Do you have a goal? Everyone has dreams, but only a small percentage of people actually take the time to turn their dreams into solid, reachable goals. It doesn’t even take much time — just write it down, ON PAPER, put a deadline with it and there you have it… a goal.

It’s not difficult, but it will have a poweful, positive impact on your life.

 I really could talk about goal setting for pages and pages… especially when I get into the different methods of goal setting, the different authors who have written incredible books on the topic, my personal favorite method of goal setting….

BUT — Goal setting is what I will be teaching on at our company convention in Las Vegas… and I would HATE to spoil it for all of you who will be there! Consider this blog a teaser…

The quote I leave you with today is this, I mentioned it at the beginning but it is so, so powerful — by Kathy Lutz,

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.”

There is something about a new year that makes me so excited! A fresh start, 365 new days to look forward to. A fresh take on your goals, and a full account of how well (or how not well) you did on the goals you set for yourself last year.

In reflecting on my past year, I am both proud of myself and disappointed. Some goals I reached, even surpassed, and yet of others I fell a bit short.

My number one goal for 2008 was to improve upon myself — and that, I feel, I did quite significantly. I don’t believe that at the beginning of the year I could even fathom the changes I would have the strength to create within myself over the next 12 months, but I did… and for that I am pleased, and grateful beyond measure.

I set a goal to get out of debt — another goal I succeeded in, although I hardly realized it until December 29th when I was finishing up my bookkeeping for the year. After signing one final check, placing it in the envelope and dropping it in the mail, I had accomplished my goal. What a since of freedom and pride that gave me!

I set a goal to double my business. This is one I did not quite reach. I (along with the help of my team) was able to take the number of people in my organization from 253, to 373 — not a bad number, but not what I was hoping for. In all honesty though, perhaps it was falling short of that goal that has lit a fire in my heart for making my business absolutely explode in 2009 — and explode it will, I can feel it.

I have done all the necessary preparations — every possible detail, to create an incredible growth in my business over the next 12 months. Things already seem to be falling into place — there is a feeling in my head and in my heart that simply will not accept “failure” as an option.

To put it even stronger, its as if failure does not exist.

I can’t say what exactly has put me in such an intense state of mind, most likely a combination of things. In part, it comes from a few of the books I’ve read over the past year; “Maximum Achievement” and “Goals” written by Brian Tracy, “Beach Money” written by Jordan Adler, “The Fifth Principle” by Michael Clouse and so many more.

Also, it comes in part from the CDs I’ve listened too; Michael Clouse’s “Building a Better Life”, “The Recepie for Success” and “How to Build the Network Marketing Business YOU Really Want”.

I know it comes in part from the encouragement and support I receive, daily, from Robert — his never-ending unquestioning faith in me… that I am destined to be successful.

I know it comes in part from the goals I have set for myself — and the great want in my heart to achieve them. “A life without a goal is like an arrow without a target”

Possibly it is also attributed in part to my growing up — even if it is just a little more. I feel as thought I have grown immensely in this past year, and for that, I am very grateful.

Regardless of where it has come from though, it’s there — this undeniable desire, thirst, for success. It is a thirst that cannot be quenched until the final destination has been reached, and so reaching it has become my only option.

When I look at this upcoming year in my mind, I cannot help but to smile — a huge giddy smile that is almost ridiculous. Some might call it daydreaming… but I see it as visualizing, seeing MY future in the way that I choose to make it.

I can’t wait — already this year is proving to be more than I have expected, and I have every belief that it will only continue to get better and better.

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.”