Susan Kuz

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Need a quick boost?

 

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Some days you just need little boost to jump start your day. Or recharge your battery in the middle of the afternoon. Or shift your thinking station to a more upbeat, jazzier track.

When I’m in a bit of a funk I grab a pen and paper and use this quick exercise to jump to a more optimistic track.  It’s called the Best Future Self activity and has been shown to increase mood and well-being. It only takes a few minutes to do and will help you shift your outlook and up your happiness level. Here are the steps:

  1. Take about 10-15 minutes to imagine and write what you expect your life to be like 3 years from now (or 5 years).
  2. Imagine that everything has gone as well as it possibly could.
  3. You have worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing all of your life goals.
  4. Think of this as the realization of your life dreams. Then write what you imagined.
  5. Begin your paragraph with “in 3 years I am…”

When you’re done take a few minutes to reflect on what you put down. Does anything come up that tickles your mind? Can you begin to envision a new path towards your dreams and desires? Maybe today all you can do is take one step towards that expanded vision of yourself. And tomorrow another. Sometimes one step is enough.

What is your one step today?

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Awaken your Dreams

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine a goal you might want to pursue. Perhaps like many you’ve had dreams and goals in the past that have not been realized. Maybe because you tried and given up. Or may be it was something out of your control. Life’s like that and lots can happen.

When someone asks about your goals perhaps you find you have few things (or nothing) on the list. Or maybe there is something begging to come out but you immediately stop it from surfacing as your inner critic takes over saying something like “It’s never going to happen because (insert your excuse here).” or “Where is the money going to come from?” or a host of other things. I’m sure you have your usuals.

If you want your dreams to become reality you have to start nurturing them. Like any beautiful garden, it won’t happen if you don’t plant the seeds, feed and water them, take care of them as they bloom, and keep the pests from destroying them.

Here are a few tips for planting your seeds to awaken your dreams and goals:

  1. Grab a pen and paper and begin writing down some things that would be cool to do in your lifetime.
  2. Cover all areas of your life and be as detailed as you can. If you want to travel list the cities or countries you want to visit. Don’t just put down “travel more”.
  3. When your inner critic starts popping in with “buts” and “as ifs” mentally give it some time off and shoo it away. Now go back to your list.
  4. Imagine there are no barriers to your list of dreams. This task is just about the What and not the How.
  5. Aim for at least 25 things and eventually get to 100 things. If you can only think of a few right now that’s OK. More will come as you awaken this part of you.

This is just the start of your beautiful Dreams Garden. It’s the first step and it’s an important one. You can’t have a beautiful garden without the seeds right? Enjoy the process and remember to celebrate once you’ve completed this step. Exciting times ahead!

Copyright: alexraths / 123RF Stock Photo
Your garden of Dreams and Goals.