If you’re a parent (like me), one thing that’s guaranteed at this time of year is school sports day.
Love them or hate them (or like me, a day you clear your diary for but hardly rejoice at!) – there are some uncanny similarities to business.
The parallels to our lives are even BIGGER.
Take the obstacle race (honestly, bear with me here!).
We cheer our children on as they set off at full tilt, racing to jump through hoops, balance balls on cones and leap over mini hurdles.
They know where they’re going. The finish line is in sight, with the tantalising promise of a sticker to reward them at the end.
Yes, these obstacles seem trivial to us. Yes, it doesn’t matter if the tennis ball rolls back off the cone.
But to our children, in that moment, that race is THE most important thing in their world.
Their eyes are well and truly on their goal.
In life, SO many things get in the way of us building our dream.
Overwhelm is a big one. When we see the huge goal at the end, the path to get there can feel too complicated and just too big a challenge to overcome.
Unlike our children – who speed into action, taking each obstacle at it comes – we struggle to break the challenge down into smaller steps. We can’t even see the route ahead.
Our fear can paralyse us too. Fear of failure; fear of success; fear of even trying, for what others might think. It stops us from ever getting started (or even admitting what we REALLY want).
So we procrastinate. We don’t do the things we know we must do to move forward. Suddenly, cleaning the house or completely clearing your inbox becomes the most important task of your day.
Before you know it, the days become months and you’re still no further forward.
The children in that race have a purpose. Without any awareness of it, they have a clear vision.
- They know exactly where they’re headed;
- Where the finish line is / what success looks like;
- And exactly what needs to happen to reach their goal.
As adults, setbacks make us want to give up (and let’s be honest, some children too – we’ve all seen major sports day tantrums!).
Early setbacks are the worst. Even if we acknowledge our big dreams, we don’t know where to start. Or we’ve got no idea how we’d ever afford the life we want.
So we file the bigger house; the travel; the going part-time at work; the lifestyle we’d REALLY love under ‘one day / if we win the lottery / it’ll never really happen’ in our minds.
Here’s the thing.
Life is NOT a race.
Just because your friend / sister / cousin has her own home / car / doesn’t need to work does NOT mean it’s right for YOU.
What’s right for you – your version for your one-and-only life – is completely personal and unique to you.
What DO you want? Do you have a vision for your life? Do you know what the big goals look like yet?
Because creating that dream life does NOT happen by accident.
- It takes a personal vision.
- A plan.
- And then carrying out that plan, one step at a time, to move towards your goals.
How does that idea make you feel? Excited but then overwhelmed? Scared? Unsure about where you’d even start?
Well…
You’re not alone. And the great news is that I can help you!
I’ve created the ‘START’ system to help you move towards your vision, for your life.
Together, we start by getting clear on your dream. I’ll help you work out your big goals (even if they feel a million miles away right now!).
Understanding what you really want is such a crucial part of the puzzle. So many clients tell me how this step alone has transformed their lives, when they allow themselves to be truly honest about what THEY want (rather than what others around you might have).
Giving yourself both the permission and the support to design your life as YOU want it is utterly liberating.
And knowing you’re making progress feels even better, when we move on to create your plan! Small steps – tiny, even – towards creating your vision for your life.
You’ll discover the very first thing you need to do to get started.
We map it all out, banishing the overwhelm with practical, do-able steps you really CAN start taking today, whatever your financial position right now.
So if you’re ready to take the very first step, click here to join our (free) Facebook group – Peace Together Money Confidence.
It’s a brilliantly supportive place for positive-thinking women to come together and chat about all things money in a friendly, non-judgmental space.
And then to find out more about our ‘START’ system & working together towards YOUR dreams, just click here now to get in touch.
I’d love to help (and it really IS just about taking that first step today!).
Until next time
Claire
p.s Here’s the link for our Facebook group again – if any of today’s blog has resonated with you, you’ll find tons more support, inspiration and resources. We’d love to welcome you in!