Reaching Your Dreams: 10 Habits to Get You There

So often, we get caught up in the day to day dramas of being a mom that we have trouble finding the time to work on our dreams. Life just always seems to get in the way. But shouldn’t your dreams be your life? What are we, if we don’t have dreams, and goals that help us to reach our dreams? Dreams are so important for us to grow as a person. They give us a purpose in life. Now I know you all have a million things to do, but if you are going to ever reach your dreams, then you have to find the time to work towards them. Here’s a list of 10 habits I follow everyday to help me realize my dreams. If I can realize mine, you can realize yours. It just takes practice.

1. Don’t dally over mundane tasks. Channel surfing on TV may be relaxing, but what are you really accomplishing? Procrastinating about that chore? Just do it and get it over with. Before you head to a store, make a list of what you need. When you get to the store, just beeline over to the sections that sell the items on your list.
2. Stay focused on your current task at hand. It’s so easy to lose focus and start something else when you really want to get started on a task related to your goals. Don’t let that happen. Try to work on one thing at a time. Finish what you are doing before you start something else.
3. Update your to-do list daily and look at it often throughout the day. Keeping a daily to-do list and crossing items off as I complete them, helps me to stay focused. I set 3-5 major tasks I want to complete for the day and schedule the time to complete them. I finish them completely before crossing them off.
4. Schedule in time to work on your goals just as you would schedule in a play date for your children. If you are having trouble finding time to work on your goals, schedule them into your week. Try setting aside 2 nights a week to spend 3 hours working on your goals. That gives you 6 hours a week. Imagine what you could accomplish in 6 hours if you concentrate on your goals and stay focused during those hours!
5. Make sure your goals align with your dreams. It is so much easier to find the time to work on something when you can look forward to the outcome. Setting goals is good, but only if those goals are helping you to reach your dreams; otherwise, they become yet another chore.
6. Take advantage of spare moments. I like to clean my house by using spare moments throughout my day. I prepare dinner every night and while it is in the oven, I sweep and quickly mop the floor, do some of the dishes or clean the kitchen sink. If I have 5-10 minutes left before I need to do something, I might quickly put away some things lying around, wash a mirror, or go through the mail.
7. Delegate easy but time-consuming chores to your children. My kids love to help. They get a lot of praise and thanks when they do, so they enjoy it. They take care of things like folding towels, picking up their toys downstairs, setting and clearing the table, making their beds and taking out the trash.
8. Take advantage of quiet times when children are napping or playing quietly. I take advantage of various times during the day when my kids are playing together. This gives me extra time to work. I spend time with them after school, then they go off and play. I go off and work a little more. If your kids are smaller, try to work while they play near you.
9. Hire a mother’s helper to entertain your children while you work on your goals. Having someone else entertain your children will cut down on distractions to help you concentrate on the important things that you need to reach your goals. Let your children know you will spend time with them after the mother’s helper goes home.
10. Elicit your husband to help when he is home. My husband is great at letting me work an hour here and there to complete a task. He’ll play with the kids or get them ready for bed. This helps me tremendously, and it also gives the kids a chance to bond with Daddy.
If you change just one of these habits each month, you will be well on your way to realizing your own dreams sooner than you think.