What’s Next?

On the back of last week’s blog post, I felt it was time reflect and re-focus. After coming off a massive high from achieving one of my lifelong dreams I started to feel a little bit flat and directionless. What was next?

As I said a few weeks ago, travelling to Europe was one of the first goals I ever set with our goal planning strategist Mardy Penrose over 12 years ago. It was also the one goal that I had not achieved. I have talked a lot about taking control of your life and the fact we are the only ones standing in the way of us achieving our dreams due to either limiting beliefs or those good old excuses that we are all guilty of making. When you do realise that your life is your hands, you go after what you want and you get it, the sense of fulfilment is energising and gratifying. But once you’ve successfully accomplished or attained the things that have been driving you, then what?

I felt such a sense of satisfaction as I wrote last week’s post, re-living all the highlights from my trip. As I said smashing your goals and ticking off items on your bucket list feels amazing. Once you’ve revelled in that feeling though, it’s time to dream again.

I sat back and thought about my 5 year plan. Being newly engaged, I had a whole host of new plans and goals to factor in to my personal goal strategy. I had so many ideas, wants and needs floating around in my head that I started to get lost in them. My brain felt foggy and cluttered. What is important to me right now? What is going to excite me now? What is my next step?

Then the fears started to creep in, which is precisely when I knew I had to stop and take charge.

I picked up the phone and texted Mardy: “I have never needed a session with you more than I do right now.”

I spent Saturday afternoon getting all those ideas, wants and needs out of my head, onto paper with Mardy’s guidance and incredible knack for teasing out all those airy, whimsical dreams and turning them into real, achievable goals.

I looked at my life as a whole. My career, relationship, personal development, health and wellness, fun and adventure, financial security and more. Living a balanced life is what this website and blog is all about. Nurturing each area of your life in a balanced way is what leads to a happy, fulfilled life.

I was able to identify the areas that I have been neglecting in recent times, because my energy has been directed elsewhere, and put a plan in place to help me re-distribute and manage my time more effectively. I thought to myself “I need to go back and read some of my own blogs and those written by my beautiful contributors and basically be a little better at practicing what I preach.”

Being super busy has meant that I have neglected my personal development in recent months, in particular my mediation practice and daily mindfulness practices. I have not been reading as much as I would like, nor have I been spending enough quality time with my friends or partner. So on top of my career and financial goals, I am dedicated to nurturing these areas.

I walked out of this session with Mardy with so much clarity. I felt pumped and re-energised. I have set some incredibly exciting goals for myself and I am genuinely excited about my life. How great is that?

This session emphasised the importance of setting goals properly. Having direction gives you purpose and the more purpose you have, the more fulfilled you feel. Ask yourself these questions this week:

• Am I happy with my life as it stands right now?
• Do I know where I want to be in 12 months from now?
• Do I have dreams, wishes and desires that I would love to fulfil and if so have I identified these wants and needs specifically?
• Do I have a strategy to help me to get to where I want to be?
• Do I believe that I am deserving of success and happiness?

Happy dreaming 🙂