Have you ever thought of upgrading your life but didn’t know how to go about it. From time to time I dream of experiencing the kind of get-away in this video but not as some special once a year privilege. But I can almost hear you dear reader saying this is what people who work DO on vacations. I beg to differ because I think to the extent that you are willing to give up something, you can make your dreams come true.So how do I get what I want?
HOW TO DO THIS
Shift your priorities
Answer the question what are you willing to give up to make your dreams possible. Is living your dream an important and valuable enough of a trade-off for you to give up some of the stuff in your life? What if you could make the decision to give up space and in exchange save money bringing you closer to your dream? This might mean you could not have all your stuff, your books, mementos, ephemera, old sentimental T-shirts with you because your space is being reduced. But it might mean a savings of who knows how much each month.
Act
Once you make the decision that you can live without all your stuff, don’t think about how you will feel until you’ve finished getting rid of stuff and can experience how you feel in real life rather than your mind. Just Do it.
WHAT YOU GET
1) You will be able to dream again. The physical effort of downsizing using the example above clears up mental space in your head. You will begin to imagine yourself in another set of circumstances with new possibilities. I began to dream of swimming in Kauai once I gave up stuff. And this is a serious stretch, given the fact that I cannot really swim. But I can take swimming lessons, right.
2) You will be able to bring closure to old projects. With an over-arching goal, it’s easier to finish things that have been set on the back burner because you do not have enough room in your head. You want to clear your desk just as you clear your head.
3) You will be able to get MORE of what you want. Only you can define what “more” is. Sometimes it’s money, time, space or love. It is different for everyone. The important thing is to get what you want
How to get what you want is not rocket science. What I know for sure is cooking Malaysian food in Melbourne, Australia, traveling in Southeast Asia, improving my skills as a Pilates Instructor abroad; writing my books, and visiting my grandson regularly all used to be dreams that I am now turning into my reality. The only reason that has been possible is because I finally decided what I was willing to give up. “Stuff” that I’ve accumulated over the years no longer holds it sway over me. That is not to say it is not good, useful or pleasurable stuff. It is just that I don’t need it to breath or reflect back to me who I am. My values have shifted and my life more accurately reflects what is important to me.
This almost sounds like retirement but in fact it is simply how I choose to live my life as a Boss and I make getting what I want a priority.
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