There are no coincidences. I sat down to write this column, turned on Pandora and Shakira’s “Try Everything” from “Zootopia” started blasting.
“I won’t give up.
No, I won’t give in,
till I reach the end.
And then, I’ll start again.
I wanna try everything.
I wanna try, even though I could fail.”
In my 20s and 30s, I unwittingly traded my dreams for debt and unconscious spending. These days, I’m busy living my dreams – trying, failing and not giving up. I can help you do the same.
Don’t worry. We’ll start small so you can slowly reconnect with what you want most. After all, isn’t that how we let go of our dreams – little by little until they fade from sight.
Here are three categories of dreams that can stoke your motivation:
Immediate: something small that costs more than you have in current disposable income.Significant: bucket-list goals, such as a vacation or one-time purchase.Impactful: dreams that connect you with your deepest purpose or mission.
Immediate: something small that costs more than you have in current disposable income.Significant: bucket-list goals, such as a vacation or one-time purchase.Impactful: dreams that connect you with your deepest purpose or mission.Ideally, fulfilling an immediate dream will take two to four months of savings. Pick an activity or purchase you’ve put off because it’s just a little out of reach financially. Now, set aside cash each month in an envelope or special place until you hit your goal. Soon, you will be able to celebrate hitting that goal, and you’ll build psychological momentum for pursuing larger ones.
If you don’t have a bucket list, get a journal and list one-time experiences or purchases that will make life richer or more fulfilling. Use your imagination to recall wishes and dreams from your youth. To bring your list to life, you can create a vision board. Check out this article for guidance: http://bit.ly/HowToMakeADreamBoard.
These dreams will be powerful enough to guide you toward taking control of your money, paying off debt and creating a realistic budget to save for that big goal.
Once you are making progress toward that bucket-list goal, take a quiet three-day weekend to consider the impact you want to make on the world. On Day 1, take a walk in nature. Awaken without an alarm clock on Day 2, then spend time journaling. After journaling, spend the day with someone or doing something that inspires you. That evening, review your journal entry to see if your impact dream has emerged.
Spend Day 3 walking in nature, journaling and planning.
Abolitionist Harriet Tubman said: “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
Durango resident and personal finance coach Matt Kelly owns Momentum: Personal Finance. www.personalfinancecoaching.com.
