Career & Business Coaching Blog.
Inspiration and tips for multi-passionate creatives & entrepreneurs.
How to take risks (without losing everything you have)
In today’s dream bigger tip I want to focus on the “bigger” part of the process. In everything we aim to achieve there’s a level of change involved. Learning a new language, starting a business, developing healthier habits, … whatever you decide to undertake change is what will take you from where you are right now to where you want to be.
If you’ve been dreaming small until now – that is if you haven’t acted on your big dreams because you believe those dreams are not for you or you don’t know where to start – dreaming bigger means changing the way you’ve conceived your dreams so far. This change – like any other – requires you to learn to be comfortable with what often feels like excruciating uncertainty. It means learning to take risks, and be OK with doing it.
Imagine your big dream is to start your own shop on Etsy. You create the most beautiful jewelry, that all your friends love. But your own business? Actually making money from your craft? That’s not for you. At least, that’s what you keep convincing yourself of. So you keep dreaming small.
In order to dream bigger you need to be willing to take risks. Try something new. Tell yourself, whatever the voice in your head is saying, that you can do it.
How to learn to take risks?
In what follows I share 3 things that have helped me to learn to take risks, and reprogram myself to dream bigger. Whatever your big dreams are, if you’ve been hesitant to pursue them because it feels “too risky”, these tips might help you get started.
Dream big, but start small
What I hear most often when I’m working with clients, is that they don’t know where to start. The lack of clarity about what to do first sometimes comes from not knowing what they really want, but in many cases it’s the result of feeling overwhelmed by the daunting task to start working on achieving dreams that look like huge mountains.
I know it can be so overwhelming to look at your big dreams in their entirety, and ask yourself how you’ll ever be able to reach them. Like standing in flip flops, t-shirt and pink shorts at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, wondering how you’ll ever reach the top. The result of this type of overwhelm is often inaction. The risks to undertake the adventure are simply too great to even try – or so it seems.
That’s why it’s important to dream big, but start small. Instead of focusing on the mountain, focus on the first step you can take right now. Then take that step. It will help reduce the level of risk you think you’re taking, while actually moving you towards your goals.
Remember that you can always change your mind
Another reason my clients often procrastinate on getting started with their big dreams is the fear that the choices they’ll make will be forever. This is a mistake our mind makes when we’re about to step into uncertainty. Leaving the familiar behind is one of the hardest things we can do. We’re programmed to like the comfort that comes from knowing what to expect, so jumping into the unknown often feels like one of the most important decisions we can make in our life.
Although deciding to change something in your life can feel like a decision you’ll have to live with forever, this simply isn’t true. It’s not because you start an Etsy shop today, that you have to commit to it forever.
Even if you make a decision that you end up regretting later on, there’s almost always a way back. Or at least another direction you can take that will get you closer to what you really want. That’s the beauty of being in charge of your life, and having the power to make decisions. And why risk taking is not so risky after all.
Always fail forward
Change involves risk, but it also involves learning. Perhaps there’s even no real learning without at least a little risk taking. Inside our comfort zone we’re usually well aware of what we know, and what we don’t know. Learning requires us to step outside of it, and stretch ourselves a little more. It’s outside of our comfort zone, where risks are taken, that we open ourselves up for failure.
The fear of failure is one of the top reasons why so many women don’t follow their dreams. Unfortunately, as I’ve explained above, there’s no risk taking without risk of failing. And that’s actually OK. What needs to happen to dream bigger is not to avoid failure at all costs, but to reframe what failure really is, and to get rid of the notion that it’s bad to fail.
Failure is essential to growth, and part of the process. Learn to get comfortable with your mistakes, to see them as key learning moments, to fail forward.
If you want more tips to get unstuck, I’ve got great news for you! This tip is part of a series, you can find all entries here.
How Natalie is building her own beauty education brand
Natalie is a Makeup Artist & Beauty Coach, and the Founder of Natalie Setareh.
Natalie’s big dream is to empower women through beauty education. She believes makeup is a tool that has the power to truly transform how women feel inside, and to make them confident and comfortable in their own skin (with or without makeup). Here’s how she’s making her dream come true.
What was your big dream, and what inspired you to go after it?
I guess my big dream right now is to be the household name in education. Like the new Bobbi Brown! I truly believe that makeup is a tool and accessory that has the power to truly transform us (from the inside out) but there’s a lack of real, tangible, practical education on how to buy, wear, and use makeup in ways that suit our own unique self and personality.
Did you always had this dream?
I wish I could say I’ve had this dream my whole life but that wouldn’t be true. What’s true is that I’ve been doing makeup on others for as long as I can remember. I’ve also always had the dream of helping a lot of people without having to go to medical school (much to the dismay of my Persian father). Through the course of my adult and professional life, I followed a few different rabbit holes until one day, I decided to go for it and start Setareh Beauty, a new freelance makeup artist business. During the first few years, I was fine with my “freelancer” title. It wasn’t until recently when I started reflecting on client experiences, analyzing my testimonials, and watching how people engaged with my content that I realized I graduated to full-fledged business. See, in nearly everything that I created or wrote, things always pointed back to makeup and beauty industry education, and the empowerment found therein.
It was then when I discovered (lightbulb moment) that it’s SO much more than makeup. It’s about feeling empowered (to try new things and be your own makeup artist), be back in control (shutting out all the “buy-this, buy-that” clutter the beauty industry relentlessly sneaks into our pocketbooks), and confident (with or without makeup, making the choice for ourselves and owning it).
What was one of the first thing you did to get you started?
Aside from starting my business and shamelessly putting myself out there, working back-to-back weddings and long, long “hours for photos” days (or small amounts of money) in order to build my professional portfolio, I remember randomly being asked if I offered private lessons. Taken back (wait, I’m an ‘expert’?), I panicked but said “Yes, I do!”. I developed a private lesson structure that evolved into a workbook and sequence that would eventually become the major influence and backbone of my Makeup Reset Workshop Series.
My workshops have been the vehicle to my entry into beauty education. See, I wanted to offer the world an affordable, hands-on workshop where I encourage participants to bring their own makeup bags and learn instead of simply imitating. Participants follow along in this now 26-page book that I wrote by myself. A makeup artist colleague of mine even told me that my book was better and more comprehensive than the one she received in makeup school. And that’s saying something!
What were the biggest challenges you faced in working toward achieving your dream?
I’m knee deep in the challenge. As a woman, I wear so many hats. I wear the artist hat. The business owner hat. The wife hat. The mother hat. The friend hat. Etc. You get the idea.
Having an amazing gift to offer the world takes a team. It takes time. Patience. And a LOT of hard work. So finding time to make sure I work smartly towards getting my message out is always the challenge.
What do you wish you would have done differently? What would you warn others about?
I believe that everything I’ve done so far has led to where I’m now. I suppose I wish I would’ve, at a much younger age, been confident enough in myself to stand up to my family and show them that I got this whole “entrepreneur” thing down. I spent so many years of my life trying to prove I can climb the military officer ranks, corporate ranks, education ranks when really, I should’ve spent that time showing the world what I’m capable of building my own ranks, and climbing them on my own.
Would you say you’ve achieved your big dream yet?
Definitely not! But it’s within reach and sight!
What do you think helped you achieve it?
I wish I could say friends and family, because that’s the expected answer. And don’t get me wrong, they have supported me in so many ways and without their support I wouldn’t be able to keep creating and doing what I do.
But really, the most support I’ve received in my business and what has helped me achieve my dreams has been fellow entrepreneurs. Organizations like the Rising Tide Society and attending local Tuesday’s Together chapters. Tuesday’s Together meetings has been life-changing for my professional and personal growth. Having an entrepreneurial organization at my fingertips has been instrumental in my growth and realizing my dreams.
What’s the best advice you have for others who want to follow their big dreams?
Write down your goals somewhere. A napkin, the back of a piece of paper, a Instagram-worthy mood board… it doesn’t matter. Write down your goals no matter how big or small. Then, try to fill in the gaps in how you want to get from short-term goal to long-term goal. And finally, get ready to roll up your sleeves and put in lots of long hours and hard work.
In this age of side-hustles and entrepreneurial endeavors, we are constantly pressured to buy this system for these results, or automate this process for unparalleled growth, or hire a VA/build your team, I think it’s important to remember the core of it all is {strategic, focused, and smart} hard-work.
I love Yoda’s quote from Star Wars, “Do or do not, there is no try.” Really, it’s not rocket science but hard work does pay off.
Natalie at work during one of her Makeup Reset Workshop Series
More about Natalie Setareh – nataliesetareh.com
Natalie is a US-born makeup artist, educator, and aficionado based in the beautiful spa town of Wiesbaden, Germany. She offers a wide range of conventional makeup artistry services but also offers makeup education for non-beauty professionals, such as her popular Create Your Signature Look and Makeup Reset workshops. When she’s not making up, she’s hanging out or traveling with her two little kiddos and husband, teaching ice skating lessons for the local skating/hockey clubs, and seeking out amazing little coffee shops.
Natalie’s favorite quote is:
I see myself as a huge fiery comet, a shooting star. Everyone stops, points up and gasps. ‘Oh look at that!’ Then -whoosh, and I’m gone…and they’ll never see anything like it ever again… and they won’t be able to forget me- ever.
– Jim Morrison
Natalie’s Big Dream for the world:
I’d love to build a tuition-free makeup school specifically for refugees, asylum seekers, displaced people, and women escaping abuse, that upon graduation, gives them the skills and know-how in how to build a successful, portable, translatable makeup artistry business. Too many women in the beauty industry don’t get a fair deal and I want to change that!
If you want more inspiring stories, I’ve got great news for you! This story is part of an interview series, you can find all entries here.
Self-care tips for when you’re working hard to build your dream
Self-care didn’t always come naturally to me. In fact, I’d say that for the biggest part of my life I didn’t care much for my body. Or myself. I was too preoccupied with endless to-do lists, multi-tasking to make sure everything got done, and that everyone around me was happy first. Taking care of myself was something I’d do in the future, after all the other stuff I had going on. Of course I never got to that point. How could I make myself a priority when I kept on adding other things to my list first?
When I think back on that time now, I realize I lived my life as if I had no body at all. Everything happened from the top of my head up to my neck. Anything below that was a necessity, not a gift. At least, that’s how I used to look at it.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t exercise, or wasn’t aware of what I was putting into my body. Only I didn’t do it for the right reasons. I slept because I had to, I ate – most days much later than I should have and at my desk – not because I wanted to nourish my body but because I was so hungry I couldn’t ignore my poor body anymore. When I went to the gym it was because I felt I needed to look a certain way to fit in, not because I wanted a strong, healthy body. The thing is, our bodies are amazing machines that can cope with a lot of things, but in order to live a joyful, fulfilling, healthy life we need to do more than just keep ourselves physically alive.
My own decade-long habit of ignoring my body’s needs resulted in heaps of stress, aches and pains, headaches. I wasn’t the nicest person to be around either, especially early in the afternoon when I hadn’t eaten yet and was in full-blown hangry agony. Because of the prolonged hours I spent at my desk behind my laptop I always had cold hands and feet, and a sore neck and shoulders.
But the biggest issue was that I wasn’t nearly as productive as I could have been. Doing almost nothing to work toward my goals. During my work day I was easily distracted, stressed out, unhappy. At night I was exhausted. By not allowing myself to take a break or care for myself I was miserable.
So, what is self-care?
The World Health Organization restricts the meaning of self-care to the practices that keep you safe from disease, boost and restore your health, but in a more general sense, self-care could be defined as taking time to focus on yourself and your physical and psychological needs. It’s about reconnecting with your body to listen to its messages, quieting your mind and dealing with your emotions and feelings.
Is self-care another name for pampering?
Only if your idea of pampering is to give your body (and mind) what it needs to thrive and continue to serve you well in your mission to achieve your dreams.
In recent years, self-care started becoming more popular thanks to the work of self-care activists like poet Audre Lorde.
Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.
– Audre Lorde
The idea is quite simple: if I don’t take care of myself, I won’t be able to keep fighting for the causes I believe in. If I don’t take care of my own needs, I’m not going to be able to help others get what they need either.
You’re a human being, not a robot
Something the South African writer Malebo Sephodi set out to remind people during a TEDx talk was that we need to allow ourselves to feel things. We’re human. We’re not robots designed to work or process information non-stop, and we need to take the time to reflect on who we are, who society expects us to be, and who we feel we should be – what we know is our true calling.
Self-care is an act of love and a tool for strengthening your body and mind. The bigger your dreams or goals, the bigger the risk of becoming overwhelmed, disengaged, or even sick while working hard to achieve them. Because you know that the reward will be so great, you risk pushing yourself too hard.
To help you work toward your big dreams in a meaningful way I’ve put together a list of self-care tips that I invite you to try, and (if you like them) integrate into your daily life. These tips have helped me to finally make friends with my body, and learn to treat myself well.
Learn to release the tension in your body
You can do this through yoga, getting a massage (or giving yourself one), going to the gym, or even doing breathing exercises. For example, you can install the BreatheWell app on your phone (iOS, Android) and go through a breathing cycle any time you feel tense. You can start with a 4-second inhale, a 16-second hold, and an 8-second exhale.
Sit on a bench in the park
Or step outside, or to your balcony for a few minutes. Just watch the people and the cars passing by, what’s unfolding around you without thinking about all the things you have to do. This will give your mind and body a relaxing break.
Take a meditation break
Some people meditate for 2 hours a day, or more. It’s OK if you don’t have that long, 15 minutes or even less will be just as good. If you don’t know how to meditate, open a guided meditation on YouTube and listen to the indications or just focus on your breathing. [If you’re a member of the Big Dreamers Club, simply go through the meditation module Maja Savic created for us.] Meditation can help you live in the present and expand your consciousness, thus freeing you from the shackles of your own thoughts and emotions.
Clean your desk or your room
Decluttering will make you feel more productive and will also help calm your mind. It’s really worth it to invest 15-20 minutes on cleaning up your workspace or personal space every day.
Play a simple, mindless game
The awesome thing about games is that they capture your attention, so you can use them to give yourself a break, especially during stressful times. You can play a game on your phone or in your browser. A quick Google search will give you lots of options to choose from. So will asking children or teenagers!
Make yourself a nourishing meal
It should be something you really want to eat and that’s also good for you. Usually, your body craves what it needs. So listen to it, and don’t postpone eating when you’re hungry, or eat less than your body needs. Remember that food is your body’s (and mind’s) fuel, and that you need it to be happy – and work on your dreams!
Binge on some Netflix
Or watch a series or fun TV show. It doesn’t matter what you pick, as long as it’s not work in disguise. Don’t go to YouTube to learn more about subjects that matter to you at work, instead make sure to pick something that will amuse you, and will help you get your mind off things.
Take a nap
Sometimes our bodies and minds need rest. Babies and young children do it often, and it’s easy to see the difference in mood before and after. The same is true for us. Whether it’s 10 minutes or half an hour, laying down to rest and closing your eyes for a little while can truly do wonders. Especially if you live a busy life with little time for yourself.
Reach out to a friend
You’re not in this alone. Even though when you’re working your way through your to-do list you might feel you are. That’s why taking a break, and reaching out to a friend can do so much good. It doesn’t need to be a long conversation, or even a phone call. You can message a friend on Facebook, or exchange a few text messages through your phone. The point is to connect, and remember that a whole world is out there.
Close the curtains and dance to your favorite song
Moving your body is one of the best ways to release tension, get some blood flowing through your body, and to remember you’re alive. If you feel up to it, try singing while you’re at it. Expressing yourself through your body can be a great way to get yourself out of the confines of your comfort zone, which in turn will not only boost your health but your creativity too!
Put your thoughts on paper
Having dealt with anxiety for a big part of my life, I know all too well what it feels like to have too many things swirling in my mind. One trick that I’ve found to be helpful to release some of the mental stress that comes from having too many things in my head, is to write them down on a piece of paper. When I do it – and I’ve made it a habit to do this regularly – I can literally feel space freeing up inside my mind. The result? I’m calmer, less stressed, and I can focus better on what really matters.
If you like any of the tips, I invite you to put them into action. And in the comments below, let me know about it. But whatever you do, remember that you’re not a robot but a soul traveling through this world in a vessel made of flesh and bones. Take care of yourself!
How to make space for your dreams
We all live busy lives. They’re packed full with to-dos, responsibilities, jobs, businesses, things we need to take care of on a daily basis. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine that keeps little room for change. And when dreaming big is concerned, change is what we’re after.
In my coaching practice, but also in my life in general I come across a lot of clutter that keeps so many big dreamers from achieving their dreams. The thing is, if you’re going after your big dreams you need to make room for them to come alive. And that’s where I see a lot of people get stuck.
If you dream about more free time to spend doing what you love, but you keep binging on Netflix every chance you get, you’re not making space for your dream. If your big dream is to become a writer, but your desk is so cluttered that even a post-it note won’t fit on it, you’re not giving your dream a chance. That’s why making room for your dreams to come alive is so important.
How do you make room for your dreams?
Make space
Space is a broad concept. Sometimes for our dreams to come alive we need to make physical space for them, like in the example of the cluttered desk above. Sometimes the space we need to make is less literal, like a change in the way we spend our time, or a mental uncluttering so we can have more room to think, be creative, see things from a new perspective that will help us achieve our big dreams. If you’re not making progress on your dreams, clutter might be the culprit. So look around you, and inside of you for what might take up space and keep your dreams from blooming.
Let go of what doesn’t serve you
Imagine you’re a bookkeeper who’s big dream is to become a chef. You’re used to finding answers to most of your questions in books, or online. So you set out to learn how to cook the same way – after all that’s how you do everything! Quickly you realize it isn’t working. It’s lonely in the kitchen with just books. Sometimes you’re lost, not sure you’re doing it right or what the result should be.
We’ve all learned to do a million things in a million particular ways. As humans that need to operate in society, keep ourselves alive, make a living, raise families this is an incredible bag of tricks to have. It usually serves us well, and makes our lives easier. The issue with all these acquired ways of thinking, seeing, and doing things is that often achieving big dreams requires a new set of skills, another approach, a different perspective.
That’s why it’s important to check in with yourself regularly, and let go of what doesn’t serve you anymore. Our bookkeeper above clearly isn’t getting anywhere by applying a strategy that worked well for other areas of her life. By checking in with herself she realizes she needs to let go of her books, and find someone to actually show her how it’s done so she signs up for a cooking class. From there she enrolls in a cooking school, earns a degree, starts her own restaurant, and achieves her big dream.
Focus on how you want to feel
Often the room our dreams need to come alive relates to the way those dreams will eventually take shape. When we have a goal or dream in mind we have a mental picture of what our life will look like once that dream comes true. That mental picture can take up so much space, that there’s little room left for the dream to take on a shape of its own.
Someone dreaming of love, passion, and romance might be stuck on the mental picture that achieving her dream can only be within the unhappy relationship she’s in. By detaching from the outcome – infuse passion in a relationship that no longer works – and focusing on how she wants to feel instead – loved, and wanted – she’s able to let go of the mental picture that it can only happen with her current partner, and create room for a new relationship that can make her dream come true.
If you want more tips to get unstuck, I’ve got great news for you! This tip is part of a series, you can find all entries here.
How Maria Jose spoke at The General Assembly of The United Nations
Marie Jose is a Mental Performance Consultant, and PhD Candidate. One day a friend of hers told her about an essay contest to speak at the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Maria didn’t believe she could win or even know what she could write about, but the dream of winning an all-paid trip to New York, and to be able to speak at the UN pushed her forward. Here’s how she made her dream come true.
What was your big dream, and what inspired you to go after it?
One day a friend told me about this essay contest “Many Languages One World” to speak at the general assembly of the United Nations. This was a very cool contest since if you were selected, you would win an all-expenses paid trip to New York for a week. It did not matter where you were in the world they would fly you out to New York, and by the end of the week you would speak at the UN.
When he told me about that contest, I said, “great, you love the UN and you have a lot to say. I won’t apply because I’m not the kind of person who likes to write, I never wrote an essay in Spanish, and I’m certainly not going to write one in English”. I didn’t believe I had the skills to win, and I’m not the type of person who wins that kind of stuff anyway.
The topic of the essay was: “What does it means to be a citizen of the world?”. This only made things more difficult for me, as I did not feel like one, so I had no idea what to write.
However, days passed and the topic was on my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the reasons why I didn’t feel like a citizen of the world, and why I wasn’t qualified to write that essay. Suddenly it hit me… I could write about why I DIDN’T feel like a citizen of the world.
For a month I wrote notes on my phone whenever an idea would come up. Two weeks before the deadline, I was clear on what I wanted to write, so I put all my notes together and wrote my essay. I sent it to an advisor who gave me feedback, and suggestions on where to go deeper or explain some ideas more.
The night before the essay was due I edited it one last time. It was a Saturday night, and I was sleeping on an air mattress at a friends’ house. I remember thinking, “what is the point of writing this, I could be partying with my friends, I’m not even going to win”. But there was also another voice inside of me saying “you’ll have to swallow your words soon when you win. You’ll see! And it will be proof that you and anything can achieve whatever they set their mind to“.
The thing is, the friend who motivated me to participate – and who has a UN screensaver on his computer! – never turned in or even finished his own essay.
Did you always had this dream?
No. I didn’t think it was possible to speak at the UN unless you were President Obama or someone very important like him.
What was one of the first things you did to get you started?
I started writing some ideas on my phone, and thinking about the all the reasons why I was not a citizen of the world. I believe that it’s easier to start a difficult task if you have something done already. So, I knew that if I had enough ideas written on my phone, when I sat down to actually write that essay, it would not be as daunting.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in working toward achieving your dream?
My own self doubt, saying I was not the kind of person that could win a contest like this, let alone speak in front of the United Nations.
What do you wish you would have done differently? What would you warn others about?
Believing more in myself, having more imagination about the things that I could accomplish, and at the end recognizing that I actually wanted to win, instead of listening to the voice of doubt in my head saying I didn’t care when I actually did.
So I’d say my advice is trust that you want something, that it is a valuable goal, and believe that it’s worth spending your energy, and time on to achieve it.
Would you say you’ve achieved your big dream yet?
I certainly achieved this one! But I have many other dreams that I am working on!
One of them is to build my own consulting company, and to have an online practice about mental performance. I am working on an online course for people who want to perform at their best under pressure like athletes, and musicians do.
What do you think helped you achieve it?
Believing that it was worth the effort. Focusing on the process, more than the result. Taking it as a game, having fun, and teasing my own ideas. And writing from an intimate and authentic place, not trying to show or achieve anything, but connecting with my emotions and figuring out what was important to me.
What’s the best advice you have for others who want to follow their big dreams?
Trust that they are valuable dreams, and even if you don’t think you can achieve them, just because you have the dream makes it possible. People who achieved big things are just like you and me, but they trusted their dream, and went for it!
Maria Jose Speaking at The General Assembly of The United Nations
More about Maria Jose – www.mariajoseramirez.cl
Maria José Ramirez C. is a 34 year old mental performance consultant. With her work, she supports people perform at their peak potential by providing the tools they need to overcome their mental barriers and excel in their chosen field.
After 10 years of working with athletes, musicians and business leaders from around the world, and 15 years of study around the world (Chile, Canada, UK and The United States) she developed a program specifically designed to enable people to perform at their best under pressure, while living more authentically. Maria Jose currently lives in Pennsylvania, where she’s pursuing a PhD at Penn State University.
You can view Maria Jose’s UN speech online here: https://youtu.be/N-esrD9sIjo
You can read Maria Jose’s UN essay online here: https://acei-global.blog/2016/08/12/i-am-not-a-citizen-of-the-world/
Maria Jose’s favorite quote is:
Heed these words, You who wish to probe the depths of nature: If you do not find within yourself that which you seek, neither will you find it outside. In you is hidden the treasure of treasures. Know Thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods.
– Delphi Oracle
Her dream for the world is:
That we can all live a more sustainable life. We need to realize how fortunate we are. We live in paradise but it is our insecurities, our lack of connection with ourselves ,and with what is truly important that makes us live superficial lives that are detrimental to us and the environment. When we live authentic lives we are aware of what is important to us, we have a why bigger than ourselves, and it becomes easier to choose to use our skills to serve ourselves, others, and the Planet better.
If you want more inspiring stories, I’ve got great news for you! This story is part of an interview series, you can find all entries here.
How to believe your dreams are possible
Have you ever dreamt about something really, really big only to find yourself a few minutes later deciding that you’d never be able to achieve it? If you did, I want you to know that you’re not alone. I’ve been through this with my own dreams, and I’ve helped so many women that experienced the same thing with theirs.
One of the main reasons why we don’t achieve our big dreams, is that we don’t really believe we can achieve them. Of course, the dynamics at play are a bit more complicated than that, but the bottom line remains the same: we don’t pursue what we don’t believe in.
So in order to achieve our dreams, first we need to truly believe they are possible. Here are three tips that I’ve used to believe in my own dreams, and that many clients, and friends have successfully applied to believe in theirs.
How to believe in your dreams?
Don’t censor yourself
When you dream big it’s important not to censor yourself. Don’t think about how you’re going to achieve something when you’re dreaming about it, but instead focus on what it is that you want. Planning can come later, for if you start questioning the plan at this stage, you’ll never get past your own doubts.
Visualize yourself achieving your dreams
The bigger the dream, the harder it is to imagine yourself achieving it. One way to help you believe in your dreams is to short wire your brain into believing you’ve already achieved them. To do this you must visualise yourself already there, and keep the picture of your dreams in your mind as much as possible. I love creating vision boards on Pinterest to help me do this. Every morning I’ll do a quick browse through my boards. It helps me remember what I’m going for, and believing that I can achieve it!
Keep track of small wins
The road to big dreams can be long. Even if you start out believing in your dreams, the longer a dream takes to achieve the bigger the chance you might lose faith along the way. That’s why it’s important to keep track of your small wins. I keep a list close by with all the tiny milestones I’ve achieved for each of my dreams. When I feel doubt creep in I take out my list and I review it. It reminds me of where I started, and how far I’ve come. This helps me to stay motivated, and to keep believing I will eventually get there.
If you want more tips to get unstuck, I’ve got great news for you! This tip is part of a series, you can find all entries here.
7 best planners to stay organized
A dream without a plan is just a dream, right? So here’s the list of my 7 top picks of planners to get organized – and achieve your goals!
When I choose a planner I’m always on the lookout for specific features, such as: great monthly, weekly, and daily overviews; space for to-do lists and notes, smooth paper to write on, enough writing space, inspirational quotes or prompts, and most importantly an interesting layout or structure that helps me to stay on track, and achieve big goals!
Based on those criteria I’ve put together a list of what I consider to be the 7 best planners to get organized.
The Erin Condren Life Planner is one of my all-time favorite planners. I included it in last year’s top list, and I’m including it again this year because this planner has every feature you could ever dream of.
First, it’s a full blown planning tool. The Erin Condren Life Planner helps you set goals, get clear on what you want, and take leadership in your life.
What makes the Erin Condren Life Planner so unique is the extensive level to which you can customize it:
You can choose between a colorful or neutral theme. You can pick a cover (floral, artistic, neutral, colorful… you name it, it’s available!), or purchase different beautiful laminated covers so you can interchange them throughout the year for more variation.
You have 3 options for your weekly layouts: vertical, hourly, or horizontal; and you can choose between a 12 or an 18 month option. Every new month has a beautiful internal cover page to collect ideas or notes. It also comes with inspiring quotes and words.
The weekly spread runs across two pages from Monday to Sunday, with a note section on the side and below every day of the week.
The Erin Condren Life Planners comes with a set of stickers to highlight important moments throughout the year: birthdays, vacation time, days off, and so on.
The planner also comes with year-at-a-glance pages. An overview of 12 squares (one for each month of the year) that runs across two pages. This spread is perfect for writing down, and keeping track of your monthly goals.
All of this makes the Erin Condren Life Planner one of my favorite planners. I find it easy to use, very practical, and beautiful and unique at the same time!
#2 Self Journal
What I like about the Self Journal is that it combines day-to-day to-do lists with your actions goals. Another one of it’s great – and unique – features is that this planner is date independent, meaning you can start using it at any time.
Some of the features of the Self Journal that I love include:
Space in the journal pages for daily morning and evening gratitude.
An evening routine that helps you reflect on your daily wins, and lessons learned.
Daily targets to help you focus on the 3 top tasks you want to accomplish that day. I’ve found that focusing on only 3 top things to accomplish everyday works wonders in achieving goals, big and small.
Weekly prompts to reflect and track your progress.
The length of the planner also differs from most other planners: 13 weeks instead of the usual 12 or 18 months. According to the creators of the Self Journal, they’ve chosen this time frame based on the science that 13 weeks – approximately a 3-month timespan – is the ideal time frame for goal setting. This 13-week roadmap is one of the power tools of the Self Journal, and a one-of-a-kind feature that I haven’t seen in other planners!
#3 The Planner
This planner, created by Carrie Green from the Female Entrepreneur Association, is the ultimate business planner to keep you inspired, focused & dreaming big.
The Planner is a limited-edition daily planner that covers an entire year of planning, and goal setting. When you’re flipping through the soft pages of this planner, you can’t help but think it was created by someone who knows A LOT about effective goal setting, and has a great sense of style.
The Planner has a luxurious powder pink & gold foiled cover, gold accented corners, and gold wire binding. The first pages of the planner are for yearly planning, and asking yourself powerful questions about what you want to achieve.
I absolutely love the monthly calendar spread, weekly planner pages and daily pages of this planner. On the daily pages you have space to list your 3 top goals of the day, a schedule from 7am until 10pm, and a section for notes. At the bottom of each page is an inspiration quote.
All of this, together with the free online course and monthly bonuses that come with The Planner, make it one of my top picks of the year!
The Daily Greatness journals, and planners remain some of my favorite planners! To me they are a beautiful mix between goal setting workbooks, to-do lists, and more common daily or monthly planners. The reason I love them so much is because they offer a ton of incredible tools to gain clarity about what you want, work on your goals, and achieve more by tracking your progress!
I particularly love the Business Planner, and the Daily Journal. The Business Planner is everything you need to be launch your business, or elevate your current one to the next level. It’s so good, that I recommend it to almost all of my business coaching clients! The Daily Journal offers the same mix of goal setting, planning, and progress tracking but for your personal life.
Daily Greatness also has a Training Journal, Wellness Journal, Yoga Journal, and Parents Journal. Worth checking out if you’re looking for more structure, and successful action-taking in your life or business.
The Ultimate Life Binder by Michelle from Secret OWL Society is one of the most complete, and versatile life planners available. Michelle is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who first created this binder when she discovered that she had lived the same year twice and that it had been a mediocre one.
The Ultimate Life Binder grew out of her desire to take 100% responsibility for her life and have her dreams, projects, and progress “all in one physical location”.
I’ve had the pleasure to talk to Michelle and she told me that the Ultimate Life Binder helped her to live her life on an upward spiral. She’s now at the 4th revised (extended) version of the binder and has sold more than 2500 copies all over the world.
What I love most about the Ultimate Life Binder is that it’s as if Michelle has thought about everything. And I mean – everything! Having it as a planning tool really makes you take 100% responsibility for your life, the tagline of her planner.
Within the binder you’ll find:
Yearly overviews, goals overviews, monthly overviews, prompts to help you focus on a weekly and daily basis.
Handy daily to-do pages with space to reflect on how you want to feel, what you’ll do to take care of yourself, and what you absolutely need.
Fun lists for books you want to read, things you want to buy, courses you’re taking but also more practical overviews like password sheets to record your online passwords for safekeeping, goal breakdown worksheets, and even budgeting tools.
Social media and blog post scheduling, and even travel planning sheets.
What’s so powerful about the Ultimate Life Binder is that Michelle has created a binder that addresses the important stuff, even when it’s not that sexy, like tracking your financials, or getting clear on the habits you need to build (or change) in order to be successful.
If you’re looking for the more intuitive planner, with different focus than traditional planners, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Rifle Paper Co. offers 12-month hardcover agendas and 17-month planners. I’m including them in this list because I still love myself a traditional agenda (call it melancholy), and because the ones from Rifle Paper Co are the perfect combination of a classic bestseller with the more contemporary take on planners we have today.
My favorite is the hardcover agenda. It’s a book cloth agenda, featuring a gold foil cover, illustrated end pages, and calendar and weekly views. It’s a classic design that never fails. At the beginning of the agenda there’s a section for important dates, organized by month. At the end of it you’ll find a contact listing (so old school, I love it!).
Each separate month comes with its own monthly overview spreading across two pages. This planner has a weekly spread format, so no daily pages here. However each day of the week has enough room for writing down your most important tasks, to-dos, and goals.
This hardcover agenda comes with an inside floral print on front and back cover pages. If you’re a fan of classic, timeless planners like I am, you want to check them out.
#7 Day Designer
The Day Designer is one of my favorite planners because it’s a real work of art. Not only is it a beautiful and intuitive planner, it’s also very spacious! My favorite look is still the classic one. How can you say no to a black, white, and gold combo?!
The Day Designer is a mix of worksheets, prompts, planning tools, and note sections. I love how the first pages of the planner offer different worksheets, each designed to help you find out your strengths, values, personal skills, vision, and passions. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that knowing yourself well helps to achieve your goals!
The Day Designer has a separate page for each day of the week, except for the weekend, where Saturday and Sunday share one page. Weekly schedules start on Monday, and every day has runs from 5am to 9pm. On the daily pages you’ll find prompts for your top 3 to-dos, inspirational quotes, a checklist, a gratitude section, space for dinner planning, and more.
The Day Designer also comes with a monthly calendar, a notes section, and space for projects and deadlines. What I like most about this planner is that it’s a little treasure chest where you can organize all of your ideas, tasks, goals, thoughts, and even memories!
Now it’s your turn. What planner are you currently using? And what do you love about it? Leave me a note in the comments below, because I’d really love to know.