1. Have a clear vision of your goal or dream
If you do not have a clear vision, you may struggle to find direction and decide what to do next. So your first step is not action but vision.
If you do not have a full picture of what you want, clarify your values first.
Then, get to know yourself free of the constraints and demands of your existing work and lifestyle.
This personality assessment is free and gives a very helpful reflection of yourself, what motivates you and how you can thrive. It is one that I used myself back in 2010 when I realized I was out of alignment with my values. I knew I had to make major work and life changes but did not know where to begin.
Get to know yourself. Your sense of self will provide you with your values and vision. From there, you can set direction with more certainty.
2. Remember: it is never too late to begin
No-one is ahead and no-one is behind. We are all on our own timelines.
Yet from a very young age, we are told what we "should" have accomplished at every age, whether this be education, marriage, home or career.
Do not judge yourself for what you feel you should or should not have done. Don't criticize yourself for not starting sooner.
Start today. It is never too late to begin.
3. Get creative within constraints
It is daunting to make a change. And it may seem overwhelming or even impossible at times. But, whatever the limits on time, money and other resources, you can always do something.
This may be researching options, calling someone, or educating yourself on a certain topic. Even if the action is asking for help, this is still a positive and empowering action.
With all the constraints you perceive, use this as an opportunity for creativity. Ask yourself every day: what can I do?
4. You have an unlimited resource: your mind
In 3D reality, there are constraints of time and money. But you do have one unlimited resource: your mind. Abundance is not financial wealth; abundance is a mindset.
We cannot advance beyond the limits of our beliefs. Whatever you believe or disbelieve about yourself will directly influence your thoughts which will, in turn, influence the actions that you do or do not take.
Over the years, I have come to realize that everyone has limiting beliefs. My meditations and hypnotherapy can help you release limiting beliefs.
Work as much on your mindset as you do on taking action. By releasing the artificial limits of your mindset, you will remove subconscious blocks between you and your dreams.
5. Build habits to support your goals
The goals you achieve are not one-time events. They are the result of the actions you take every single day. And we operate on habits for more than 90% of the day. So I encourage you to create a routine that sets you up for success.
Habits also help alleviate the mental fatigue of asking yourself what to do next.
Ensure that you establish habits that support your wellbeing, not just your work and life goals. Habits of self-care better ensure that you set boundaries between work and personal life.
Establish habits that support your goals. As part of your routine, start with the most important or challenging task as the first work of the day.
6. Remember: it is a marathon, not a sprint
The path to your dreams may be longer than you think.
If you are pursuing your goals and dreams, no doubt you are fuelled by passion, and you will want to work on them day and night. There may be extraordinary demands on you at all levels. And it can be challenging to know when to stop, to rest.
But you do need to rest.
Establishing a routine of when to start and stop your work will better help you go the distance.
The mindset that brings you initial success can be your downfall in the long term.
I admit that this is a lesson I am still learning myself. Prioritizing work above all else may bring you success at first, but it can be your downfall in the long run.
The journey ahead is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to preserve your energy, your focus and your health to ensure that you go the distance. Pace yourself.
7. Focus on progress, not the end goal
Once you have your goal in mind, you may feel overwhelmed, or it may seem so far away. At times you may feel it is impossible. Keep your vision in mind, but also ensure that you shift focus to your progress, and to your daily tasks rather than constantly focusing on the end goal.
Check in with your vision every week or however often feels right to you. But then shift your focus to tackle one task at a time, and take one step at a time. Every day counts and every day gets you closer to your goals.
8. Be aware of your negative self-talk - and talk from others
Defend your dream no matter what. Protect it, nurture it, and don't let anyone else dissuade you.
Those who think they can and those who think they can't are both usually right.
When I quit the corporate world, some people openly expressed that the concept of low-cost and no-cost support simply could not work; and that I would fail. And they were right. In the beginning.
It took 3 years of losing money in this new career, hypnotherapy, to begin to break even and even longer to get out of debt. But I am debt-free today and making a living from the work I love.
There is a saying that we see the world not as it is, but as we are. And this is true.
Do not let anyone else's negative projection influence you. Your dreams are precious, so choose carefully who deserves to hear them.
9. Transform fears into risks and manage them
The brain has a natural negative bias. It is designed to notice threats above all else.
In the process of pursuing your dreams, you will face obstacles and disappointments you never imagined. And after a few setbacks, the mind can quite easily start to imagine what else may go wrong.
You can acknowledge your thoughts but you do not need to believe them. Write down any fears that come up. When you name a fear, you start to tame it.
When you name a fear, you start to tame it.
Then, shrink the fear even more by getting very specific. Ask yourself the following:
What do I believe may go wrong?
What is the impact to me in specific terms, in money, health, time or in some other way? Get very specific here to shrink your fear.
How will I recognize this risk if it becomes a reality?
What action can I take to mitigate it or prevent this from happening?
It can feel at times as if life happens to us. But there is always something you can do. Whatever happens, you have the freedom to respond and take action. You have a voice, and you always have choices.
You are the greatest influence over your own life. Even when the unexpected happens, it is not the end. Transform your fears into specific risks and put a plan together to deal with each one.
10. Celebrate all your wins
It may take longer than you think to achieve your end goal. And you may become disheartened if you don't stop and notice what you have achieved.
If there is just one person you can trust with your dreams, share your achievements with them.
If not, at the end of every week, journal what you have achieved. Goals can be something tangible, or you may have learned something new. Celebrate it all. Make this part of your routine to spend time reflecting. Notice all that you have worked on and accomplished.
Celebrate both your efforts and achievements every week.
11. When you cannot move forward, refuse to turn back
You may not always feel like you are progressing, but you are. And if you are too tired, overwhelmed, or confused, give yourself a break. We live in a world that pushes us all to go faster, to do more and be more. But you are already enough and you do enough.
It took three years for me to stop losing money and start to break after changing careers and retraining as a Clinical Hypnotherapist. And I believe that you can achieve your goals and dreams too. Hold faith that your goal or dream will happen and that you have the power to make it so.
When you do not have the energy or time to move forward, you can still refuse to go back. Rest when you need to and find someone or something to nourish you, so you can go the distance.
12. Remember: failure is not final
Following your passion requires an unusual mix of confidence and humility. If you can embody both of these qualities, you will recover from your mistakes and transform them into lessons learned.
Following your passion requires an unusual mix of confidence and humility.
The only way to avoid failure is to do what you've always done or, worse, do nothing at all. So if you haven't already, I encourage you to take that first step today.
Failure is not final, and success is not a one-time event. Success is a journey of many steps. Keep moving forward.
Final Thoughts
Back in 2010, I realized that my corporate career was completely misaligned with my values and with who I was as a person. Uncertain of what to do next, I took the first step that resonated with me, which was to study Sustainability. I studied at night classes while still working my office job.
This led to more research and reflection until, in 2014, I quit my 17 year corporate career.
That same year, I began my hypnotherapy training. However, the influence of Sustainability and models of sustainable communities have heavily influenced my values, as I aim to provide most of my work at no cost and low cost to all. We are all connected.
It has been a winding path but I have learned from every step. Now out of debt, I make a living today.
And my vision continues to change and grow year after year.
To support you in whatever your goal or dream may be, listen to my Sleep Meditation to Help You Achieve Your Goals and Dreams below. If you need this, I truly hope it serves you well.
Thank You for Reading
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sarah Dresser from Unlock Your Life, and I quit a 17-year corporate career to create the job and life I love. The process of change has taken many years and there have many challenges along the way. And it has all been worthwhile.
You can access my hypnosis, meditations and affirmations sessions on my YouTube channel here and connect with me on Facebook and Instagram.