Climb Your Own Mountain

If you had a magic wand & could wave it 3 times, for what would you wish?

When we were children, we often quickly answered with "a million dollars" or "more wishes!" As we mature though, we take longer to answer the question. Some of us hesitate because we want to wish correctly. Others hesitate because we been told too often that our dreams are "impossible," "silly," "irresponsible" or even "crazy."

Have you wishes & goals you think are out of reach, irresponsible, silly, maybe even a little crazy brewing in the back of your mind?

Lately, there have been some wonderful stories in the media about ordinary people accomplishing some pretty extraordinary dreams & goals. Here are just a few:

In June of 1998, Wendy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Faced with the potential of life in a wheelchair, Wendy decided living life was her top priority. Although she was never an athlete, she's challenging the Seven Summits of mountain climbing. So far, Wendy has conquered Mt. McKinley in Alaska, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina and Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Next year, her sights are on Mt. Everest, the world’s highest peak, to complete the Seven Summits. While she's doing all this, Wendy also runs marathons! Check out more at: Wendy Booker: Climb With Me

Then there's the Great American Road Trip that occurred this month. Three guys decided to challenge the Guinness record for driving through all 48 states in 5 days, (although Guinness no longer keeps records of road trips for safety's sake). The trip was inspired by the father of one. The dad mapped out the journey years ago, but a death in the family prevented him from taking the trip. When his son, Josh found the maps, he & his two friends Joey and Adam decided to make the trip. They did it & then some, completing their trip in 106 hours - much quicker than their 120 hour goal.

Or maybe you are inspired by business dreams. The story of Brenden & Kelly, who invested their life savings of $3,500 each to start Bear Naked Granola in a borrowed kitchen. Working 100 hour weeks each for 18 months without making any $$, their dreams are finally coming true. Bear Naked Granola is now distributed in 25 states across the US.

Getting started on your dream may seem insurmountable, but don't give up. Here are a couple of dream-starter tips:

Find a champion. Share your dreams with someone who will support & challenge you. Be careful not to share with everyone during the early stages - some people are Dream Steelers (either out of protection or jealousy).

Name your dream. Envision your life as it will be when your dream has come to fruition. see the details. What are you doing? Who is with you? Where are you? Get the visual & then work to condense it down to a concise statement. Put a name to the dreams you want to pursue.

Identify your strengths. Don't be modest! Recognize the strengths you have that can help you bring your dream to life & focus on these.

Develop your strategies. Set some action statements that will propel you towards your dream. These are the "I will..." statements that propel you a little closer to your dream each day.

Dress rehearsals. Use the vision you developed earlier you picture your dream regularly. Imagine yourself being successful at your dream. Athletes use these imaginary dress rehearsals to improve their chance at success. Using visioning regularly increases the potential of success!

Go public. When you're ready, start sharing your dream with a few more trusted people. The accountability factor can be very motivating!

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!” -Scottish mountaineer W.H. Murray (often attributed to J.W. von Goethe)

Reach for the stars...dream big...or dream small...it's your journey...just begin!

Have a great week!

Kim