What do you want to be when you grow up? We ask this question to little preschoolers, grammar school kids, teenagers, and even college students - but then what happens? All of a sudden no one asks you anymore what you want to be/become. It leaves most adults feeling lost, like they somehow missed an unseen opportunity, because if no one's asking anymore, then I guess we should've figured it out by now, right? Wrong!
Life has a way of intruding on our dreams. Before you know it, you're in high school working a job for a little extra cash, or to save for a car, but you get used to earning that amount, (and spending that amount) - so you go off to a full time job, or you try to work while in college. Both paths leave you exhausted but you try your best to spend time with family and friends, have a few adventures and nights out with "the guys" or a "ladies night out" now and then. Before you know it, you're somehow in your late 20s, now you have the responsibility of living expenses, you pay for your own vehicle, maintenance, and insurance. Then you're in your 30s with a couple of kids, more expenses, a larger house or apartment, and there's no time to stop working and dream.
Your 40s fly by but you start thinking you can almost see a few relaxing days of retirement on the horizon - you hope. In your 50s you realize you didn't get enough saved to retire on so you've postponed your dreams of retiring and traveling. By the time your in your 60s your (or your spouse's) health is your main concern and you let go of your dreams. Depressing - BUT WAIT!!!
What if you could live intentionally starting today to enjoy a more simple life - sooner?! It actually IS possible. Lots of other people have figured out how to chase and achieve their dreams. It takes intentional baby steps in the same direction to reach your destination. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. It doesn't matter how old or young you are. You can choose today to start dreaming again and PLAN your future. How? Here's a few ideas to get you thinking:
1. Declutter everything that you don't need, that doesn't add value to your life nor does it bring you joy. Some stuff needs to be tossed, other stuff donated, but I would SELL whatever you have that's worth anything. People all over the world have made hundreds and even thousands by selling off outdated technology, collector's items, historic memorabilia, jewelry, clothing, excess furniture, spare vehicles, almost anything you can think of. There's great apps out there to help you like Letgo.com (and you can google lots of others, but be sure it's a reputable company with reviews). There's still eBay out there. Yard sales, Craig's List, Post it on Facebook. Lots of ways to sell your old stuff.
2. Once you've earned some money, pay down some debt. Make this your #1 goal for a little while so that once debt is gone, you're free to dream about anything you want to do, anywhere you want to go.
3. Consider your living space. Do you have a home that's more than you need? I know so many people that have a "spare" bedroom, often 2 or 3 once the kids grow up and move out. If you took your mortgage or rent, and divided it by the number of bedrooms you have, you'll know what it costs you per month for that spare room (or more) every month compared to a place with one less bedroom. Is it worth the extra cost? In almost every case, the answer is, "We're moving!"
Once you've made a dent in your debt, you're not purchasing useless things anymore, and you've gotten your living expenses down by quite a bit, you now have more cash than you used to have. So here's where the dreaming really kicks in because you can almost see it. It's getting closer and closer. The debt is just about paid off, so really get detailed about where you'd like to ultimately live, or how much/little you'd like to travel - and to where, have you always wished you had the time or the money to donate to a charity, church, or good cause? Without buying material things, is there an experience you've dreamed about? Like visiting every Major League Baseball park in the USA? Is it season tickets to your favorite hockey team? How about tickets to a season at the local live theater? What about something more personal? Is there a family member you could help, like taking in an aging, widowed parent so they aren't stuck in a nursing home while you wonder what kind of care they're getting? Have you ever wanted to go to college and become a doctor, dentist, lawyer, teacher, or something else that helps others? Could you volunteer or donate to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter? When you take materialistic things out of the picture, your dreams become so much more exciting. They can be life-changing for you or those you help. Have you ever wanted to learn to play an instrument? Take some cooking classes at a local restaurant and learn to prepare dinner for your guests like a pro? Do you enjoy fishing or hunting? Where would you do it if you had the time and money to do it more often? Have you ever wanted to write a book? Many of the things here are things that could even become income producing for you! Like gardening? Would you enjoy selling your excess produce at a local farmer's market? You'd get to meet new people, exchange ideas for gardening and cooking with the produce, it's how my son met his soon to be wife! We're glad we decided to bake goods and create things to sell at our local market!
Take a few moments to dream. Maybe just a few minutes in the beginning, then more detailed as you learn to live a more simple life. When you're close to making enough income to cover your now more meager but appropriate expenses, then blow the doors off your dreams! Chase your passions to the fullest extent you're able. All it takes is the spark of a dream, then kindle the flames until you can see it and it's energy moves you.
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