Seven tips to make your vision a reality

By Andrea Millar, RLP®, CFLA, CPA/PFS

Twenty years from now, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do rather than by the ones you did do.

— Mark Twain

Have you ever been excited for the possibility of something in your life, but you didn’t quite know how to make it happen? Maybe it was your dream vacation, beginning a new business, writing a book, or simply doing more of what you love each day.

I recently took the leap to create my passion business and it was no easy feat. I had to let go of my comfortable paycheck, leave a position important to me as Director of Personal Financial Planning with AICPA,  learn new skills, and be willing to face uncertain terrain ahead.

This was quite the journey and I have learned a lot about how to face fears and keep going. Here are a few things that helped me along the way that I hope will be beneficial to you:

• Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. When you’re moving outside your comfort zone, it’s normal for your thoughts to go into overdrive and for negative feelings to arise. Many of us, including me, resist these feelings which leads to energy drain. Write down your thoughts and feelings to process what you’re going through so that you can move forward.

• Slow down. When you find something you’re excited about, you want it now and you’re ready to move away from what you have today. Don’t be so hasty that you make life harder than it needs to be. Take your time to plan for the outcome you desire and learn to love the life you have now while you’re moving towards the life you want.

• Take care of you. The best way to love the life you have now and to have the fortitude to bring your vision to reality is to take good care of you. What fills you up and gives you energy? Is it getting good sleep, playing with your dog, carving out time for exercise, walking in nature, writing down what you’re grateful for? The more you take care of you, the better you will be for others and for your own dreams.

• Ask for help and get support. It’s not easy doing something new so don’t be shy about asking for help. It’s powerful to surround yourself with people who care for you and cheer you on. Be willing to invest in yourself by hiring experts if needed or taking courses to learn more.

• Trust yourself. As important as it is to get advice from experts and those who have already done what you hope to do, the best person to rely on is you. No one knows what you want more than you and only you can be authentic to yourself. Learn to take the knowledge you’ve been given and trust your intuition to guide you forward.

• Take action in small steps. There’s no better way to gain clarity and make progress forward than to take action. Even if you don’t feel ready yet or feel something isn’t quite perfected, take courageous action anyway. This is how you get clear and gain confidence to take the next step and it becomes easier and easier.

• Be willing to take the leap. You’ll know when the time is right to leap more than anyone else. No one has a crystal ball and at some point, you have to trust that all will turn out well and take a chance. The important thing is to begin and to be open to what comes along your path as it could be more magical than you ever imagined.

Do you need help with making your vision a reality?