Dreaming is not enough.

Oh, it’s wonderful to pine after something, isn’t it? To stare into the mist with hopeful imagination fills me with great energy…for about 10 minutes. Then I fall back to earth with the realization that my dreams won’t suddenly materialize simply because I WILL them into existence.

“Wait,” you might be thinking. “Didn’t you just, in your last blog, make a big deal about the importance of dreaming in our efforts to enhance our well-being?”

Yep. And it is true. You must FIRST dream. You must tell yourself the story of how your body and mind and spirit and relationships and finances and purpose could be healthy and strong. Walt Disney got it right when he said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Except that, if ALL you do is dream it, you will never do it. I’m sorry to bring this up, but that is likely why you currently find yourself with a diminished sense of well-being. Your yearning has not been productive. To move your dreams from fantasy to certainty, you are going to have to create targets to hit. You must set goals. Goals for your body. Goals for your mind. Goals for the order of your world. Goals for your relationships. Goals for your finances. Goals for your calling and work.

Uggggghh.

I know you want to collapse. Goal setting is so stressful. It takes time and energy. There are lists to be made and dates to be set and measurements to be crafted. I’m tired just typing that.

Can goal setting be simpler? Yes. For me, it HAS to be. If it isn’t simple, I’m out. If it takes a spread sheet to set my objectives, I’m done. So let me show you a simpler way to set clear goals that will ultimately help you realize your dreams.

Goal setting made simple:

1. Pick the life factor you want to address. There are 6. You can read all about them on my blog, beginning with my entries back in June of 2021.
2. Dream your dream for that particular life factor. Write it down.
3. Note what season you are in. Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall. Then ask yourself, “What 3 or 4 things need to happen to me in the next 3 months (i.e. in this season) for me to be one step closer to my dream?” Write them down.
4. Side note: I think it’s best to use either a real or virtual notebook for your entire well-being project.
5. Look at that short list of goals once a week through that season and create your action plan for the following 7 days. Next week’s blog will be all about the weekly action plan.

Here’s a sample:

Life Factor: Order

Dream – To enjoy a life genuinely focused and in balance . I work enough, but not too much. I have time for play and love. Neither the physical spaces I live in nor the calendar I keep feel like chaos. I am having fun.

Goals for the Fall of 2021 –

• Have at least one pre-planned time of fun set for myself and/or my family every week.
• Wash my car and clean it out once per week.
• Studiously keep track of my hours one week, for each of the next 3 months.
• Finish one house project that has been languishing for a long time.

Notice that these four goals are measurable. You need to know if you accomplished them. Notice, too, that they are not comprehensive. These four goals will not suddenly unveil your dream, but they will begin to move you in that direction. And finally, notice that if you do accomplish them this fall, you may have developed 4 new habits that might become a natural way for you to do life.

Dream + simple seasonal goals + action plan = well-being on the rise.

What do you think? I’m interested in your feedback. Is it simple enough? Doable? I sure hope so because, wow, I think we all need to find a way to thrive again.

“Without dreams and goals there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.” Mark Twain