Sit, think, and figure it out. You can’t get there if you don’t know where you are going! Photo Credit: Dawn Kay
Would you ask a 16 year old to plan your life for you? Are you in a career now that you decided on many years ago that doesn’t satisfy you? Are you afraid to leave because you have invested so much time into it that you are scared to walk away?
Some people suffer for years because they are following a path that was laid out long ago that no longer resonates with them. Maybe it never did, but they were encouraged to go into a certain line of work by others, usually family.
Yes, we all need to be productive in life, but don’t you envy the people who make a living doing what they are passionate about? Don’t you wish you could wake up every day, excited and anticipating all that is to come?
I walked this beach in Puerto Rico for hours and hours. I finally found what I was looking for
No fooling around with this one – this is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to realize your dreams.
First, you must know what your dreams are!
Spend some time thinking about what your ideal day looks like. From personal experience, I know that having no structure and no goals wasn’t fulfilling to me. I used to think that wandering around on an island all day was going to satisfy me, but then I did it and it wasn’t true.
When we can only think of wanting to have less to do in life, it means that we need a break. We are struggling to accommodate the pressures we put on ourselves. Take a look at where you can ease the commitments you have and give yourself some much needed relaxation.
The old me. She was alright – we just aren’t the same person anymore – photo credit MrWillWong.com
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about who I am, what I represent, and how I am perceived in the world. I’m not actually sure that any of these are the same thing.
We all have a persona, a collection of behaviours and mannerisms that become who we are. Other people know us by this, and if you step outside of these lines you often hear, “What’s wrong with you today?” or, “You just aren’t acting like yourself”.
Acting like yourself – and the world is our stage. It seems like the persona is basically a put-on show, a representation of ourselves that we use to relate to each other and the world around us.
But is it actually who we are? Or just a reasonable facsimile? Are we actors on a stage, playing the parts that become our lives?
I tested this theory by doing something that others would consider drastic. To most people, drastic is really just any kind of change. In the quest to find some security in an insecure world, we tend to cling to things and people and not want them to change.
But change is inevitable. Much as you are no longer the tiny baby that came into this world, or the awkward teenager, or whichever body you were in ten years age, your personality has evolved as well.
My drastic change was walking away from a career that I loved, completely leaving behind everything that I was known for to pursue something totally different. People didn’t know how to react to this, and although I could feel their support, I could also feel the doubts as well.
Basically, many of them thought I was crazy. They still think that. Sometimes I think that too.
But through making this big change, I have reconnected with who I am on a much deeper level. Who I am isn’t what I do for a living, it is much more than that.
It is the inner essence, the quality of presence and of life energy that defines who I am.
As I progress through this journey, I am discovering that I am beyond definition. We all are.
Through the act of reinvention, I have become much more present, forced to think my way through my actions as opposed to running through the routines of life on auto-pilot.
I feel like a human being, not a human doing.
It’s scary sometimes, not having the illusion of security and routine to hide under anymore. But it’s also tremendously liberating. The persona that was me is gone now, and I stand reconnected to my vulnerability as a person.
It’s going to be quite the journey, this life that I am living. I do know one thing – I like this new me a lot. She’s going to be just fine.
Lake Ontario – I loved jogging past here when I lived downtown
It’s a fantasy of so many people – to quit your job, do only what you want to do, and start your own thing. I did exactly that. And so far it is everything I hoped for and more.
Of course, planning well in advance of making the final leap is important. Acting impulsively and telling your boss you are quitting without having a plan will make the journey a lot more challenging.
It’s best to be running towards something and not away from something else. I knew what I wanted to do, got the necessary education to be able to do it, and even then I waited until I could wait no longer.
So what does it feel like?
It starts with a sense of excitement. No more obligations, no more having to do what other people tell you to do, only following your heart and chasing your dreams.
But it takes a special kind of discipline to be able to work for yourself, especially in the beginning. Remember, there is no security of a paycheck. Yes there is freedom, yes there is a sense of excitement, but there are also times when fear can creep in.
How will I pay the bills? What am I going to do today? Am I ever going to be successful? These types of questions can undermine your confidence, and make you question whether or not you made the right decision.
The key is to remain focused. Know what you want to accomplish, and then make strides every day to reach those goals.
What To Do Before and After You Make the Leap
1) Have a plan. It’s important to know where you want to go and what you want to achieve. It doesn’t have to be completely mapped out, but having goals is important.
2) Have some security. You need to have a contingency plan. At least six months to a year of living expenses is crucial. This gives you the first few weeks to figure out which direction you want to move in, while still allowing you lots of time to adjust course or find supplementary income. The worst thing is to be unprepared and to start to panic due to lack of resources.
3) Schedule your time. You don’t need to schedule every minute of every day, but it is important to know what you would like to accomplish. Things don’t get done by themselves. You need to work the plan and plan the work.
4) Be disciplined. It’s easy to fill your days with busywork that doesn’t move you in the direction of your goals. Having coffee with friends, getting tasks done around the house, and other time stealers can make you feel as though you are accomplishing something, when in reality you’re just avoiding what needs to be done. Use your time wisely.
5) Stay focused on exactly what it is that you want. By having a clear image in your mind, it is much simpler to move forward in the direction of those dreams. Stay focused, stay disciplined, and stay motivated.
So far my plan is working exactly as I had hoped. My business is expanding, I am generating income, and I know what I need to accomplish each day to continue moving towards my goals.
By keeping your goal in sight, you will avoid falling into the trap of thinking you have all of the time in the world. If you aren’t using that time wisely, it will disappear and it could take your dream with it.
