I want to start a week devoted to the idea of creating an ideal life for yourself. This idea is one of the key things I work with in coaching. Creating an ideal life was developed over the past few years in my life. It started with dreaming, and then took its form to a purpose, and then it was driven with passion to live a purpose. Finally I realized my dream was to live an ideal life and my purpose was to help others find their ideal life.
So this week I want to cover a few things to help you find that ideal that you are longing for in your life. Another coach friend of mine in Dallas, Nate, always tells people he is living the dream. I liked that and used it for a while. Then I found another internet friend, Steve, who gave away an intro book called “Lifestyle Design.” I thought about this for a while and it came to me that I live an ideal life. I know of a few people in the blogging world who discuss this very idea. We all have a different ideal life. No two people talking about an ideal life could have the same ideal. While a few things might be similar, we are all different.
This past week I was able to sit and have dinner with a friend, in her home state of Connecticut. She said that her life was perfect, she was happy with everything in her life just the way it was. It was exciting to here that. Even I, who say I’m living an ideal life, am always working towards a new goal, another adventure, and some new, improved ideal. But to find people who read this just to remind themselves they live a great and perfect life is great. I believe it is something that we need to spread around in our country. Too many people (well the ones who get to talk in front of a camera) are saying that life is not good, there are too many things going wrong. That is just not true, folks. We are all living the life we set ourselves up for.
I am reminded of the time that I sat at a breakfast with a group of men from my church. It was before the 2008 elections. Many of the men I sat with on a weekly basis would all talk about how bad things were getting. I remember one of our pastors sitting in that group saying our economy is going bad. My good friend Nate said “I’m sorry, but that is not true. You are in control of your own economy.” I firmly believe that, as I strive to help people each day find their purpose, start laying groundwork for a new dream life. I find I spend much of my time having to explain that where you are now is from the choices that you have made. In your past you made them, they gave you the results you have now. So if you want a better tomorrow, it’s time to make a few different choices. This goes back to the old “you reap what you sow” idea or the idea of Karma where “you get what you give.” It’s all about what you are doing today that makes tomorrow.
So you know where you are, you know it’s time to make new choices. What are you going to change in the things that you do to make a better tomorrow for yourself? It’s time for you to pick the dream, decide on the purpose, and find the passion that will guide you to that ideal living, the design you have for your lifestyle is in your hands.
If you were to build a house you would start by first making a drawing, then you would build a foundation. From there, walls and roof come in. Then you add the decorative insides. Too many people start the decorating when they have no walls built. They expect the great house, but never designed it. They keep looking at the shack they are in and say “There is no way I’ll ever get that great house.” Well it’s time to design it.
While I refer to a house, I am talking about your life. If you want it to improve, you are going to have to follow the process to make it work. Stop the short cuts to success. There is not an elevator to be on top. Success is a journey, and if you are not willing to take the journey you will always be wondering what living a dream is. You will also be the one who calls the successful people in life the lucky ones.
Well, stop it. The harder they worked the luckier they got. With that I’m going to leave you with the greatest three points ever given me to change my success. I can look at anyone’s life now and see where they will be in five years by reviewing these points; I can look at anyone’s life and see which of these points they followed in the past 5 years, and how they got where they are.
1. What are you doing with your spare time? We all have 24 hours in day. Use the ones you need to do what you have to efficiently. Then make use of the rest to improve your life.
2. What are you putting into your mind? If all you do is watch TV shows that give you no great input, they are only bringing you down. Pick up a book, read some self-improvement articles on the internet (or good blogs like this one).
3. Who are you hanging out with? I find most of the people who are going nowhere are the ones who are hanging around with people who want to go nowhere. Like I mentioned above, do you want to be a person saying someone else is “lucky.” How about being the person that everyone else says is “lucky”?
So with that, have you given much thought to designing your ideal life? Take a moment today and write a small paragraph of what your ideal life would be. Write to me and let me know.
I’m Tim Gillette the Rocker Life Coach, I want you to Live the life you always wanted, do it by Loving what you do and who you share life with. How can I help you be a RockStar in your world?
