The step from dreaming to doing

A while ago it seemed that everyone on Instagram was clamoring for the chance of winning a magical trip that was being given away by a very famous insta family.
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I saw all kinds of messages like “Please let us win! I would do anything to visit X place!” or “My family would love this so much! It would be life-changing”. Travel IS life-changing. It is also expensive. So I get that. My issue with watching all this wishing and hoping is that for a moment in time while people let themselves dream- they pictured their family on that white sand beach, that castle, at Disney Land. But after they didn’t win, how many started a savings account to go anyway? The dream, on their own terms, could be achieved in a few short years or even months if they really planned & saved for it. If they sacrificed and fought for it.

There are a million things people buy that do not make them happier. Fancy cars, houses that are far too big, even degrees they get out of fear of judgment. I write this post fully aware of privilege and opportunity & unfairness in those two things. But I also know that when my husband & I were 22 and 23 and newly married with a mortgage and low paying jobs, we still saved for things by giving up other things.

Channeled, focused energy is a completely amazing force that many never really utilize. Do you want to dig your toes into a white sand beach? You want to photograph your kids in front of a castle or caught in with goofy grin in the arms of Disney characters at the “most magical place on earth”? You likely could do that. Price it out, come up with a savings plan, cancel subscriptions you don’t use, monetize a hobby, take on some overtime. Give up something to gain something else. If you’re a photographer, I bet you could cut expenses if you took a good hard look.
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Focused human energy could get you there quicker than you know. Don’t let your dreams slide through your fingertips simply because making a plan scares you. That feeling of hope, want & desire you felt when you let yourself dream at the moment you entered the giveaway- channel that feeling every day. Get your whole family on board.

We recently made a family goal of paying off our main car. Buying the car was a big deal as we went from a 1998 Toyota to a 2017 Toyota. I had never had such a nice car. But I drive a lot for my job and my husband’s car is much less nice (a 1996 Toyota truck), so for a first splurge, it has felt like a smart one. That doesn’t mean I have loved the payment. I sat the whole family (including my 8 + 10 year old daughters) and explained the goal of paying off the car and what that would be – more freedom for us each month. We are well on our way to the goal, making different choices every day to reach it.

If you have a dream, make a plan! You can do so much more than you think, you magical person, you.