I’ve heard people say “Dreams are just dreams” or “dreams are just something to get you through your day.” I’ve even heard these sentiments echoed on the popular TV show The Office. But are these statements true?
If dreams are just something to get you through your day, then why do we do the things we do each day? There is no doubt in my mind that there are people out there who believe that their dreams are unattainable, and they are stuck in the current cycle of life until they reach the end of the road.
I know this might seem like a strange subject for a personal finance blog, but I don’t just limit this blog to dollars and cents, because there is so much more to wealth than the numbers in a bank account.
If you can’t enjoy your wealth, then there is absolutely no reason to obtain it. I’d rather be poor and happy, than wealthy and miserable.
Does This Sound Like You?
Are you one of the people who believes that even your simplest dream is out of your reach? Is it because you’re scared to try, or because you lack the confidence in yourself? Do you spend a lot of time thinking of the things that you wished could be but “know” that you’ll never reach them?
Assess Your Dreams
Now, before I go off telling you that you can absolutely, without question achieve your dreams, you need to assess how realistic they are, and what your timeline is. If you want a Ferrari tonight, then I’ve got bad news for you, but what about retiring early?
What if your dream is to eliminate your debt, go on that amazing vacation, or simply stay at home and relax one day? When I say “relax” I really mean relax, not just sit at home and be stressed! When I was a child, I remembered my mother would always say that she had too much to do, she was always “GO, GO, GO” in her words.
I understand that now, and I can understand how hard it is to relax, even when you’re sitting at home. So, what are your dreams, and how much time have you given yourself to achieve them?
Put Your Dreams On A Timeline
No more of this “someday” talk, or as I like to say “bump that junk!” “Someday” is another word for never! What is your dream, and what is a realistic timeline in which you can achieve it? Do you want to eliminate your debt? Quantify the debt, set a debt to pay it off at, and figure out how much you need to pay each month to do it.
Timelines are important in achieving your dreams. If dreams were easy to achieve, then they wouldn’t be dreams, they would be the past; you would have already done them! Dreams require time and planning because they are big, amazing, and worth it!
You Need Discipline
With your dreams on a timeline, now you need the discipline to execute it. Usually, this requires good old-fashioned willpower, but a trick I like to use to form habits are calendar reminders in my email software. When I’m trying to form habits (like taking vitamins, or doing bicep curls) I set a daily reminder in my calendar that nags me until I “dismiss” it.
The big thing with this system is to not cheat. Don’t dismiss it until you’ve done it! It takes no willpower to fail at achieving dreams.
I Just Want To Relax!
If this is your dream, then boy do I have good news for you, your timeline can start this weekend! How do you relax? Make sure that you’ve got food and drinks that you enjoy stocked up at the house (this is important). Then, do the following:
- Unplug all home phones.
- Turn off all cell phones (vibrate isn’t good enough, OFF!).
- Turn off all computers, and keep them off.
- Unplug all TVs.
- No news radio, and avoid anything with commercials, MP3 players are best if you must have music.
Literally eliminate anything that can remind you that there is a world outside of your house. There are a million reasons why you shouldn’t do this, and there always will be, if you don’t force it, then you’ll never relax.
Shut everything off, read a good book, drink when you’re thirsty, eat when you’re hungry, and go to sleep before the sun sets completely. Or, enjoy the sunset, but go to bed right away. It might sound drastic, but as long as you have these devices going, there will be one more reason to put relaxation on the back burner and stay busy.
