Ah Ha!

Have you ever had an Ah-Ha moment?  I have and I hope that every person has at least one in their lifetime. I'm hoping that I have more as the feeling is totally incredible!

About a year or so ago I began writing a book.  I chose a title and outlined the chapter headings and even started chapter one.  I liked the title but it just never felt like "it".  I kept letting it rumble around in my head and didn't get back to writing too much.

Well recently while getting ready for one of my workshops in my head I was addressing the women and telling them that I am a work in progress.  Ah-Ha, A Work In Progress, that's "it"!!!!  So I have now restructured all of my chapter headings and written a new introduction and begun new, and improved, chapters.  In that Ah-Ha moment, I also envisioned the cover of my book in relation to the theme.  It was VERY clear and visible in my head.  I couldn't be more excited about this project.  On my dreams list is to be an author and so my dream is closer than ever before.

I could never have imagined the power and impact of such a moment even if someone had asked me to describe such a thing.  I didn't force it to come, I didn't try to make it happen.  It just finally did.  I knew that I wasn't quite there but now I know for sure where to go with it.

My book will be a stand alone, self help book with fill ins from each chapter so the reader will want to really understand the context.  Then there will be a self assessment page for relating the topic to the reader's life experience.  I also plan to create a keynote program around the book that I could present at women's groups, conferences and ladies days.

Now I just need to get writing and let my book fully come to life.  I'll keep you posted.

Until next time,

Val

Become Who You Want To Be!

Take a few minutes to really think about the question below.  Take out a pen and paper even and write your thoughts down.

If you could DO anything, BE anything, what would that look like?

Think about what is keeping you from moving from here to there.  Might it be an internal thing like self-esteem and/or self-confidence?  Do you think your age makes it impossible to begin following your dreams? Oh money is so often a huge road block to getting where we want to be. Actually writing these things out will let you get a more concrete idea of where you want to be and what is standing in your way.

Next, write down what you need to move forward as a topic heading and fill in below each one.  For example, if you need money what might be some options for getting it?  A loan? Savings?  Sometimes making that sacrifice, biting the bullet as they say, is a means to an end in accomplishing your dreams.  Who do you need to help you?  Do you need the support of your spouse or family?  Will they give you the support you need?  If not, what other options might you have.  Friends can be an amazing support system to us.  Is it geography?  Do you need to physically be in another place to make it work?

Set a timeframe for success.  In thinking about all of the above, how long might you need to get these things in place?  Most often we can't just jump from point A to point B but with planning, time, effort and determination we can make the changes necessary to follow our dreams.  You'll find that the stronger your desire to make a change the more opportunity you will find to achieve it.

It's never too late to pursue your dreams!  I have only just begun my business at age 48.  I personally know another woman who graduated university and began a new career at a stage in life even beyond mine and she is very successful!

We can find any manner of excuses to keep us from finding ourselves, finding our dreams.  Sometimes simply being in a rut is enough of a crutch.  Well, the time is now to stop making excuses, stop sitting where you are dreaming and wishing about something different.  Start making changes and move toward the true you, doing and being who and what you were meant to be! 

Go on now, go!!!

Until next time,

Val

Noticeably You on Facebook

Upcoming Workshops

Hello Dear Readers,

I am so very excited to let you all know that I will be holding workshops at the Women's Resource Centre in Beamsville.  To the left of this post is a link to the Facebook invitation.

It is very exciting to have this partnership with the centre and I look forward to meeting alot of new women who have an interest in their personal growth.

There is a nominal charge of $5 per evening to help offset the cost of the programs.  Please pre-register so that I know who to expect and I can have materials ready for you.

Come on and check it out.  Bring a friend for some great evenings of learning, growing, and sharing.

I hope to see you there.

Until next time,

Val

Our Dreams and Goals - Where would we be without them?

Dreams
Ask yourself this question, "What would I do if I had unlimited, time, money and resources?"  Go ahead and think about that for a moment, even jot a few things down.  I'll wait while you do that........

Well, what did you come up with?  Would you sail around the world?  Trek through the desert on a camel?  Write a book?  Stay at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto? (These last two are some of mine) Think of the simplest things and the wildest things you could imagine.  Dare to dream!

When you write your dreams down they are more tangible.  You get them out of your head and on to paper.  Keep a notebook handy so you can write down new dreams as you think of them or scratch off the ones you realize.  Imagine that, having a dream fulfilled.  Have you had that experience?  Didn't it feel great!?  What if you had a list of dreams and, while moving through your days you were able to find opportunities to make some of those dreams come true?  I've had that experience.  My husband and I did this exercise of writing down our dreams list.  On my list was to see a NASCAR race.  So, Stan knew that this was on my list and when the opportunity arose for him to buy tickets to a race, he was able to do that.  He wanted to help me realize one of my dreams!  Well, on his list was to visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to visit the grounds where the Civil War took place.  Also, he wanted to visit the Smithsonian Museums in Washington.

Well, while mapping out the geographical route to my dream, Bristol, Tennessee, he realized that if we headed East instead of straight South, we could realize his dreams and visit Gettysburg AND Washington both on the same trip. 

If we had not written down our dreams lists, neither of us would have known what the others dreams were and we would never have likely had those dreams come true. It really was an incredible experience.  We shared our dreams and had opportunity to make them happen.  What an empowering experience.  Now, not all dreams will work out that way.  One of my other dreams is to rent a mansion in California for a week or even a month.  Will that ever happen?  Not necessarily so, but it is a wonderful dream and you never know if that kind of opportunity might come along!

Goals

Now what about our goals?  We can meld our dreams into actual goals. 

The formula for setting goals is as follows:

S - specific
M - measurable
A - attainable
R - realistic
T - timely or tangible

Make your goal setting very specific - decide on the goal, for example, find a new job.  That is a pretty general goal.  Get more specific - I will find a new job by June 1.  Then set specific targets - I will visit all of the businesses in my desired work location and distribute resumes and cover letters to them all within two weeks.  After one week of giving out the resumes I will follow up with a phone call to the businesses to see if there are any questions or missing information that I could provide.  Then you can gauge how well you have accomplished your goal.  You have a timeframe, you have specific tasks and you can measure your progress along the way. 

Go ahead, give it a try.  Pick something that you want to accomplish and use this method to work through accomplishing this goal and many others.

Our dreams and goals are a large part of who we are and add to the quality and value of our lives. We own our dreams and we shouldn't allow others to take them away from us - which I have done and I know many others have as well.  Come back to you and your dreams.  They don't cost anything and they don't take up space.

Dare to dream!

Until next time,

Val