HOW TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS DOABLE

I was back in the UK recently and chatting to my mum about holidays, she told me her dream is to do a luxury train trip in the Canadian Rockies to celebrate her 60th.

Then she looked completely deflated and said with conviction that it was just that, a dream, she’ll never be able to afford it.

My mum is a nurse, she has a monthly pay check, a car, bills to pay and a mortgage, just like we all do. 

Her dream holiday to the Canadian rockies is not a financial priority so it remains a dream.

A few coffee’s and some amazing homemade vegan brownies later we turned that unattainable dream into something more realistic and more importantly, something do able, let's take a closer look.

We all have something we would love to do that feels unattainable or unrealistic, it could be the dream holiday like my mum, maybe it’s a lifestyle change or a change of career, what’s your thing?

If we tell ourselves something is unattainable and unrealistic, it will always remain that way, even if you have no idea how you are going to reach your goal, just tell your self one thing:

It’s doable.

How do you feel now? 

I have a young business, I’m a sole trader, no business partner, no investors and I’m extremely proud not to be governed by corporate interest within an industry that, according the World Tourism Organization generated US$1.3 trillion in 2012. 

But sometimes it’s tough, as a small business owner you have wear a lot of hats, things regularly feel unattainable but however unattainable they feel, I know that somehow they are always doable. 

Right now I’m thinking about how I can give back more by micro financing a Guatemalan family that I’ve been in contact with for a few years, I’m not sure yet how I’ll do it but I know somehow it’s do able.

How?

I’ll start at the top, look at the final picture, visualize the outcome, then break it down. Let’s bring those dream holidays back into the picture, starting with the outcome, spend some real time here, what does it look like, how do you feel, what’s happening, how is your life different, get excited, it’s a reality! 

Hundreds of people all over the world have had their dream holiday, these people are no different to you or my mum, they’ve done it, so can you. Money generated from tourism provides many people with a reliable source of income,  do your research, price it up and visualize where your money will go so you can allow yourself to feel good about it as opposed to just seeing a deficit of money.

Now you’ll need a strategy. If you get in your car and don’t set a destination into your GPS, where do you think you’ll end up? Nowhere in particular of course, you’ll just drive around for  a while and eventually come back to the same place. To end up at a particular destination, you’ll need to set your internal GPS by breaking it down and having a strategy.

Now break it down, how much will it really cost? Allow yourself not to place too much value on money, try to think of it as neutral, money, at the end of the day an exchange of energy, we all give our energy and time and in return for money, it’s the same all over the world. 

I’m currently organizing this years new Years Eve Special trip here in Guatemala and I know there are a hand full of people who would love to come on the trip but it’s just not a financial priority right now, I completely understand so lets make it do able for next year. 

The trip costs US$999, lets say with flights and some spending money (for those amazing Guatemalan textiles you researched about on the internet) you’ll need $2000 in total to come on next years trip, did that figure just make you wince a bit, does it sound unattainable? Lets break it down.

Thats $167 per month, hmmmm. 

Or $42 per week, that sounds better doesn’t it.

Or  $1.40 per day, could you save $1.40 per day? Now it’s do able.

Take it one step ahead, if you put that $167 into a savings account with 1% interest your money would earn you nearly $20, doesn't sound like a lot, forget the monetary value for a second, you’ll feel great just by knowing that you taken control of the situation and you’ll have more potential to take that attitude into other areas of your life (yipee)!

So after the full English with mum, she worked out that if she juggled around her food shopping a little (that’s code for not buying as much wine) she could easily save her $1.38 per day and here’s the mind set shift, you’ve just taken complete control of your dreams, congratulations!

However, mum also said that there may be months when she works less shifts so she would’t be able to come up with the extra $166 so lets turn it on it head and look at it in an alternative way. Mum could make up the $166 by doing two extra shifts at work if she had to, whats just happened? You’ve taken back control of the situation, it feels do able.

Whether it’s a dream holiday, a complete change in lifestyle or a career shift that feels right now like a dream right now, your dreams are doable.

Don’t chase your dreams, take control of them.

Visualize the outcome, and feel the emotions attached to it, get excited.

Break it down, take complete control of your time and money.

Have a strategy, this makes dreams become reality.

And don’t forget, whatever it is, it’s doable.

I hope to set up a micro finance option for my local Guatemalan family in 2015 and it would be lovely it you could come and meet them.

Em x

p.s make sure you’re chasing your own dreams, not someones else's. 

OVER TO YOU

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DECEMBER EXPERIENCES

If you found this post useful and would like to discover how compassionate travel can promote the availability of a lifestyle in which animals and the environment are not exploited then I invite you to have a good look around www.veganbnbtravel.com to learn more about vegan adventure holidays in Guatemala and Spain.