Recently, I wrote a guest article for the Ohana Mama blog. I had several requests to post it here on Tier1 Living, so here it is…
I remember something I read on the Ohana Mama blog about moving to Hawaii. Many people want to move to Hawaii, but think it is only a pipe dream. The response is “No it’s not…if you don’t want it to be.” The Ohana Mama, Sarah, had the courage to follow her dream and move to Hawaii.
Ask yourself, “What is my plan? What are my goals?” There are a lot of people who have lost sight of their dreams, or have talked themselves out of achieving their goals. I’ll share my wakeup call with you.
About three years ago, while pregnant with my second child, I had a startling revelation. I was so immersed in being a “Mommy” that I had lost sight of my goals. I’d forgotten what I wanted for my life.
Prior to having children, I had a demanding job as an account executive. I had carved out a career path and was determined to get where I wanted by the time I was 30. At age 27, when my first daughter was born, my path took a detour. I knew that for the immediate future, I wanted to be home with my child.
I took my ambition and redirected it into “mommyhood.” I thought I was doing a great job of enriching my daughter’s life. She was in art, music, and gymnastics classes. She had regular play dates and plenty of time to explore her world. I would find fun crafts, and hunted for cool events for our excursions.
After my epiphany, I envisioned life when my children were in school full time. The thought scared me. What would I do with myself while they were in school? I spent so much time creating the perfect childhood for my daughter that I forgot who I was.
What Goals?
Was I being a good role model? I always told my daughter that she could do, and be, anything she wanted. If I wasn’t working towards my own goals, was I setting a good example?
Okay, so I needed to get some goals … that would have to wait until tomorrow.
My second realization was that I didn’t have time to define my goals. Every time I sat down to create them, I felt antsy and thought of the things I needed to do for my other commitments. I was overscheduled and something needed to change. I was preschool room Mom, play date coordinator, elaborate birthday planner, social butterfly, enrichment director, community volunteer, and not to forget, homemaker.
Upon discussing this with my best friends, I realized that it wasn’t just me. We were all in the same boat. While we had a clear plan for what we wanted our children to experience, we had no plan for what we wanted to achieve for ourselves. The consensus was that we’d figure that out later.
Time for Change
My life went through a transformation. I reprioritized and streamlined my commitments. Then, I had time to reconnect with my dreams. Prior to that, my thoughts were so crowded I was unable to have clear vision for my purpose beyond being a mom. The experience of motherhood has shown me how precious life is, and the value of time; both pass quickly.
Since defining my goals, I began pursuing my passion. My joy comes from inspiring people to live the life they want. I hope to help others carve out time for themselves; focus on achieving their goals, and nurture meaningful relationships.
It is necessary to have direction. Without knowing where you want to go, you will end up walking in circles. Yes, it is important to ensure your kids have a high quality childhood. However, you also have a responsibility to yourself. You will have more to give, if you make your dreams one of your priorities.
A Focused Life is an Exceptional Life
Take time to create your goals and define your plan to achieve them. Once you know where you want to go, the path will unfold.
First, determine why you are waiting to take action. Often, it is self-doubt that is standing in your way. You must believe in your own success. Second, determine the steps for reaching your goals. It is okay if it takes time to achieve your dreams. As long as you are moving forward you will have a sense of accomplishment.
Next, identify and bypass the roadblocks. These come in many forms: time, relationships, self-doubt, and finances. Once you label your roadblocks, you can determine how to conquer them. Lastly, take action and don’t give up.
Achieving your goals is no different than moving to Hawaii; it just takes some planning. In the end, you will be basking in the sun too.
Tier1-Living 