Natasha’s Thought of the Day: Dream Big!

Children are huge dreamers before adults destroy their imaginative spirits and tell them to start thinking smaller, to start being “realistic”. The huge dreams of a child is exactly where God wants us to be. There is no fear connected with dreaming big and setting goals to attain what we desire. There is fear in thinking small. The most successful people in the world open their minds to what most people would consider the impossible, the inconceivable, and the insane. 

Think of President Barack Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Mary Kay Ash, Bob Johnson and others who had big dreams and didn’t stop thinking, pushing, and working even after those dreams materialized. Even after they passed away, King, Jobs, and Ash’s legacies continue to live on through the work they started…their passion serves as the fuel for their mission. Their brand continues to grow.

We must realize that our actions and lack thereof impact us and others for generations. The native Americans have a saying that every decision we make today impacts seven generations of the future. So consider the decisions you make each day. Make sound decisions but don’t limit yourself in fear. Allow yourself to dream big and have the intense imagination that you did as a child. Free yourself!

Picture by SoggyPigeon at deviantart.com

Copyright 2012. Natasha L. Foreman. All Rights Reserved. 
Excerpts of this thought were first drafted for Breaking Bread with Natasha on WordPress and Blogspot.
Artwork source: soggypigeon.deviantart.com

>Setting Goals the Right Way!

>You dream….

In order to make the dream a reality you need a goal with a date signifying when you plan on reaching that goal. Clear objectives must be outlined showing benchmark dates and tasks where you “check in” to see how you are progressing towards reaching the goal. You can’t just say, “I want to buy a house” and not give yourself a deadline with measurable benchmarks. You have to say, “I want to buy a house by Spring 2011” and then give yourself three, four, or six month incremental benchmark dates to check your progress.

Here are a few examples of various types of goals (broken down by category):

Financial: Increase my earnings to $9,250 per month beginning August 2011 (benchmark dates are every three months); eliminate my bad debt of $75,000 by Thanksgiving 2013 (every month I will pay off $2,083 in debt); pay off my $2,000 credit card debt before July 4, 2010 (I will pay $400 per month).

Relationship: I want to take my sweetie to Europe for 14 days by September 1, 2010 (benchmark of every two months); get married by July 1, 2011 (I will propose to her January 1, 2011); I want to have a baby by December 2010 (we will go off birth control next week; monthly benchmarks); take a couple’s cruise to reignite our “flame” by July 2010 (monthly payment plan and benchmark); start having weekly “date night’s” beginning March 1, 2010.

Spiritual: Read the entire Bible by the end May 2010 (March 20, 2010 benchmark to confirm half-way point).

Household: Re-paint the house by September 2010; new flooring by Christmas 2010.

Health/Fitness (weekly/monthly benchmarks): lose 10 pounds by April 1, 2010; run the 5K in May 2010; lower my cholesterol by 10 points by June 2010; run a mile in 5 minutes by April 29, 2010.

Once you have set your goals and objectives, you then share this information with one to two people who truly support you and want to see you succeed; so they can not only be your cheerleader, but also hold you accountable.

Then hit the pavement running!

Copyright © 2010 by Natasha L. Foreman. All rights reserved.