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What do you dream about? A happy life? A peaceful one? A financially successful one? One where you have control over your time and energy? What would your life look like if you achieved all of the things, large and small, that you yearn for in the quiet moments when it's just you and your thoughts. Those moments when you allow yourself to dream as big as you can about what life could be? Would you believe me if I told you that whatever your dream is, you can have it, or at least a piece of it, before the sun sets today?

You can. I swear.

Finding your dream.Have you ever made a dream board that depicts your hopes for your life? I am a very visual person, so I have made many over the years. And it isn't just because I love crafty projects, although I do :-) It's because until I identify what I want, I don't know how to get there. And I need to know what I want--I need to know my big why--because that's what drives me to work as hard as I do. So the pictures and words I paste on to that piece of poster board are the visual representations of my why. And looking at them every day cements that why and motivates me to keep going, even when things are hard. 

But frankly I don't want to wait years to experience the dreams depicted on my dream boards in my real life. I want to bring some of my future in to my present. So, I seek out items or experiences that symbolize the big dream and give me a taste of it while I wait.

My process for identifying my dreams is pretty simple. I ask myself: What do I enjoy most? What brings me joy? When do I feel most at peace? I write my thoughts in a journal and I create dream boards of images and words that line up with those answers. During this process, I don't edit myself at all. If a thought comes into my head I write it down. If a picture grabs my attention, I cut it out and paste it on the board. Even if I'm not sure why I'm having that thought or being drawn to that image, I still document it. As the process goes on, the extraneous things kind of filter out and I'm left with what's really important.

My big dream of 2015. "I feel most at peace when I'm near in on or around the water. I enjoy music of all kinds. So, surrounding myself with wonderful music, and having a waterfront or water view property would bring nourishment to my soul." That was my takeaway for 2015 and I shared it with my coach. 

Don't wait. My coach had lots of questions for me, urging me to dig a little bit deeper. Why should I wait until I owned a home on the water to get the feelings I imagined waterfront property would give me? Why couldn't I go and meet the need now by getting into a boat or kayak? One afternoon my coach told me my homework was to get on the water over the weekend. I went down to Thea Foss Waterway and rented kayaks with a friend.  At first we were reluctant to go too far out, but eventually we got some confidence and really enjoyed our time. We saw people bringing brand new boats out of the warehouse and into the water.  And I thought to myself how nice it would be some day to own a boat of my own.

I saw a woman unfolding a kayak and I thought to myself, "Wow, she found a way around every excuse I would have come up with (no space at home for one, no roof rack on the car to transport it). And now she has a foldable kayak!" 

After that afternoon it was clear that the water really was my dream. But while I couldn't buy a home on the water that day, I began to surround myself with items that symbolized it. I looked for watercolor paintings. I looked for beach cottage-inspired décor and found the most magnificent burlap lampshade and a driftwood table lamp for my office space. I eventually found a art piece that fit the part perfectly and painted a wall in my house a color that gave me that same feeling of peace I felt that day on the water.

What you focus on expands!2016 brought a new home for us...on the water! And love into my life. Right now you may not have exactly what it is you desire (i.e. house on the water) but if you can identify your dream, you can surround yourself with a piece of it today regardless of how far off that dream might feel. And you get a daily dose of motivation for the work it's going to take to get there.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. A few more of my favorite coastal-themed décor items are below :-)