| Following Your Dreams | |||
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 It's my birthday in a couple of weeks, so it's at this time I look back at the past year and see what I have achieved, as I find it a great way of reassessing my life and dreams and of setting goals to be achieved by my next birthday. Before I was introduced to life coaching and NLP techniques I think it's safe to say I was pretty much coasting life after leaving university. I was having fun, but not only was my health and wellbeing suffering, but my dreams were becoming ever more distant. When I was a teenager I used to babysit for a successful entrepreneur, and I remember him saying to me ‘it's better to reach for the stars and miss, than reach for the gutter and hit’. Now that may be one of those overused phrases printed on a funky postcard these days, but actually it's the motto by which I live my life, and it certainly seems to be working. If you haven't dared to dream for a while, it's about time you started, and here is a step-by-step plan to make your dreams really come true. Step 1. Name it. The main ingredient to making a dream a reality is to define it clearly. If calling it a 'dream' leaves you feeling like 'it will never happen' then rename it. If it's a goal, an aim or a target does this make it seem more achievable? What is it that you want? Make sure you are very clear on this because if you focus on something you will achieve it, so you need to make sure it's what you really want in the first place. Write down your dream in as much detail as possible. If it's to run a marathon, which one will you run, in what time, when? Step 2. Practice makes perfect. If you have been drifting through life for a while then you may find the concept of reaching for a dream a little daunting and unrealistic. Try practising on something smaller first. Still go through all the steps, but use something as a rehearsal so you can change your mindset from 'can't do' to 'can do'. Step 3. See it. You have defined your dream, and now I want you to really live it in your mind's eye. Take some time to do this step properly, and bear in mind that the more regularly you repeat it, the easier and clearer it will become. Imagine yourself having achieved your target. What do you look like as you cross the finish line, what are you wearing, how colourful are the crowds around you, is the sun shining? What does it sound like, are you panting, are crowds screaming, are your loved ones congratulating you, are you congratulating yourself? How does it feel to have achieved it, are you exhausted but exhilarated, are you hot or cold, excited or contented? Build this picture in your head and transport yourself there regularly so you can start to taste the success of fulfilling your dream. Step 4. Strategy. Planning is everything. This part should be divided into manageable chunks. The easiest way to do this is to fast forward to having hit your aim, and then working back, asking what you would have had to have done immediately beforehand in order to reach each stage. Then assess what you already have behind you, what obstacles may present themselves and how you will get around them. Step 5. Believe it. One of the most common reasons for loss of motivation is our own belief system, so this really needs to be challenged. What do you say about yourself, or what do other people say about you that might hinder your progress? 'I'm not a morning person', 'she's not very sporty', 'I don't have enough time' - these are all negative beliefs that have only become a reality because you have allowed them to. Change the language of your thoughts and you will change the person you are. Step 6. Enjoy the journey. Please, please, please enjoy your journey to achieving your goal, because that is what life is all about. The reason why setting and working towards goals is so rewarding is because 'doing' something is what makes us tick. Challenges are what make life interesting, so relish the opportunity to overcome them. Step 7. Set the next one! Why not? It felt so good didn't it? Now you're an expert you may even be able to tackle more than one at a time, just make sure you follow all the steps and next year you will have a wonderful list of achievements to be proud of, and plenty to look forward to.
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Issue 6. Cover - Photographer - Moritz Stragholz