Yes, I love pets, and travel… And this way of living gives me the time I need to work towards my goals (personal and professional), keep myself fed, and enjoy life doing it. But if you back up far enough, it’s not really about the cute puppies and pools and espresso makers.
I mean it is… but it’s not.
It’s about stepping back, putting your dreams first and crafting a path that puts you on that journey. So every day you are taking a step on the path that brings you closer to your goals. Sometimes they are small steps, sometimes massive leaps. My steps towards my goal tend to include a pup or two.
And the goal gets a bit closer every day. The goal is always your northstar. And the rewards are endless.
Your life needs a good spring cleaning every once in a while…
In a 2022 post about spring cleaning, Oprah Winfrey wrote about the importance of a spring cleaning for your mind and spirit:
“When we hold on to ideologies, processes, or patterns that no longer serve us, it is clutter that takes us further away from our true purpose and the road to happiness.”
And I would add people to the list of things we hang onto that can be a barrier to your purpose and our journey. I’m sure Oprah has thought of that as well. Just throwing in my two cents.
For me the idea of a north star is critical. A single target on the horizon. The path isn’t straight, the target is more conceptual, yet the feeling is clear–it’s energizing, it’s empowering, it’s you at your best. For me, the dream was to write. Walking the dogs is the how. Writing the words is the why.
When you know what you are working towards, you can begin to make decisions along the way that get you closer. Remove an obstacle. Add a skill. Forge a partnership. Your life becomes intentional.
As long as I am throwing around the names of smart women….
I caught a part of a podcast once, a key part. Mel Robbins was talking about what it means to take responsibility for your life. No one is coming to tell you it’s time to you write your book. No one is coming to solve your finances, make you travel, or get your ass off the couch.
No one is coming.
And the enormity of that hit me hard.
If they aren’t coming. What am I waiting for.
If no one is coming, then I’m going…wherever I want to.
And once I stopped waiting and started doing, everything changed.