Setting Intentions: Dream Big and Start With Baby Steps

It's natural to take time and consider our New Year's Resolutions on January 1st, but what about the other 364 days of the year? How often do we actually achieve the goals we set after the champagne wore off?

Does your life today match your dreams? If not, you're not alone. Most of us do not take the time to get quiet and consider our dreams on a regular basis.

The first step to living an extraordinary life is identifying what you want. I invite you to try the following writing exercise.

Finish this sentence: If I wasn't so [scared, old, broke, etc] I would...

What would you do? Go back to school, take up painting, fall in love, travel, start your own business? List as many dreams as you want. Next, look at your list and circle the three that make your heart skip a beat or give you an excited/nervous feeling. These are the dreams you were meant for.

Now you probably think I'm going to suggest you drop everything and dedicate yourself to your life's dreams today! But I'm not.

When we set ourselves up with high expectations, we then punish ourselves when we fail.

I'm suggesting something easier and more rewarding: baby steps.

There is no need to suddenly quit your job, leave your marriage and run away to Paris to be a painter. That's more likely to happen in the movies than in our real lives. (If that idea appeals to you though, don't let me stop you. Be sure to send me a postcard!)

For the rest of us, baby steps are the better option. For this exercise, choose one of your top three dreams. Begin to list the baby steps necessary to achieve that dream.

For instance, you want to become a painter. Perhaps the first baby step is visiting an art supply store to browse. Another step is spending a few hours at a museum. Another step is researching local art classes. Keep it simple and break it down as much as you can.

Now consider which of these tiny, non-intimidating steps you can add to your life right away - this week! Pull out your calendar and schedule time for your baby steps.

Breaking down our dreams this way allows us to start living them today, rather than waiting until all circumstances are perfect before we can be happy.

Your birthday is another great time to stop and consider if your life looks they way you want it to. Do this writing exercise as often as you need to each year, each month or even each week.

To your awesome life,
Heather