# 3 continued

Next, clarify your vision of your ideal life...to accomplish this, you have to know 2 things- where you are and where you want to get to. To create a balanced and successful life, your vision needs to include the following 7 areas: work and career, finances, recreation and free time, health and fitness, relationships, personal goals, and contribution to the larger community. It's not necessary to know exactly how you are going to get there. Just figure out where there is. If you get clear on the what, the how will be taken care of.

So this is where I've always had trouble. I've never been able to figure out exactly what I want. There are so many things I kinda want, or places I could imagine being pretty happy that I never settle on one. Or I think of something amazing and get hung up on thinking it's impossible, because I have bills and a family. lol. Jack says not to limit the vision in any way. Robert Fritz said "If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise."

Now for the vision exercise... Today I am just going to do the financial area. Here are the instructions... What is your annual income? What does your cash flow look like? How much money do you have in savings and investments? What is your total net worth? Next what does your home look like? where is it located? Does it have a veiw? What kind of yard and landscaping does it have? Is there a pool or a stable for horses? What color are the walls? What does the furniture look like? Are there paintings hanging in the rooms? What do they look like? Walk through your perfect house filling in all the details. At this point, don't worry about how you'll get that house. Don't say "I can't live in Malibu because I don't make enough money." Once you give your mind's eye the picture, your mind will solve the "not enough money" challenge. Next visualize what kind of car you ar driving and any other important possessions your finances have provided.
Here's my vision... My annual income is between $60,000 - $100,000 yearly. I have no debt (except my house payment). I save for everything and borrow for nothing. I have enough in savings to go 3 months with no work. I have PLENTY of cash but still spend wisely.

Principle 3

I had a shock today at church. Somebody has been reading my blog ;) That was pretty unexpected. The whole time I was doing the exercise ministry at church nobody ever commented or mentioned it or anything so I kind of assumed nobody looked at it. Then I went so long without updating it, I figured if anyone had been, surely they'd stopped. It was a nice surprise.

We talked a lot at church today about none of us being perfect. I am going to be honest right now with the fact that I quit doing the exercise ministry because I felt like a fraud and a failure. Also, I like I was using up time in the church that could've been used for something that people actually wanted to come to. A fraud because in over a year, I personally didn't get to my goal weight even though I was working out 9x a week. A failure because I don't think anybody else did either. However, I've recently had a couple people tell me they missed it and it had made a difference to them... and in a way it made me feel better and in a way it made me feel like a quitter. Putting it all in writing is making me feel like I am sort of a big baby. hahahaha

But anyway, there will be a 4 week class in January. Details will be in the bulletin, since there is only one person reading this and I already told her.

Now about Principle 3 ... Decide What You Want.
It talks about how early childhood programming often gets in the way of what you want. It says you shouldn't live someone else's dreams and you should stop settling for less than you want. You have to stop saying "I don't know or I don't care or it doesn't matter to me". When you are confronted with a choice, no matter how small or insgnificant, act as if you have a preference.

I do this all the time when somebody asks me where I want to eat or what movie I want to watch. I let them pick unless it is something I absolutely hate. I am about to go on a business trip this week with Teresa Daniels and a partner in our company. I am going to try this out this week anyway. Somehow I seem to think that it's not nice to say what I think in case everyone else doesn't think that way too. I mean, in conversation, intellectually... I don't think that. But in reality, in life... I want people to think that I am nice and easy going so I let them choose. But also sometimes I just don't care where we eat. I like everything.

David talked today about God wanting us to be ourselves and not trying to be someone else. So I am going to give this principle a go.

It says to make a list of 30 things you want to do, 30 things you want to have and 30 things you want to be before you die.

30 things I want to do

1. backpack/ bike across Europe
2. triathalon
3. stay vegetarian
4. swim w/dog & dolphins in FL Keys
5. climb a mountain
6. hang glide
7. make a difference
8. find a career I am passionate about
9. learn Spanish
10. take ballroom dance lessons
11. go on a mission trip w/my kids
12. be more "green"
13. write something and get paid for it
14. ride my bike to work everyday from April-Sept one year
15. see the Grand Canyon
16. take an RV across the country
17. get my kicks on Route 66
18. read the whole Bible
19. give a seminar
20. see the Great Wall of China
21. get completely out of debt
22. write a living will
23. scuba dive or snorkel in a tropical place
24. go on a cruise
25. get a tatoo
26. learn to surf
27. kayak
28. take a martial arts class
29. see a broadway play
30. get a college degree

30 things I want to have

1. a bunch of clothes that I love
2. cat door in my house
3. lots of running shoes
4. red Kia Soul
5. the lot next to mine
6. fit body
7. sunroom
8. $50,000 -$100,000 yearly salary
9. 3 days off a week
10. finished attic
11. respect
12. new ceiling fan
13. a boat
14. a horse
15. hammock
16. a greater sense of self
17. an exercise ministry full of people
18. more fun
19. more confidence in my job skills
20. continued good health
21. wisdom
22. ????????

Seriously... I can't think of anymore. Maybe more will come to me over the next few days. Weird, 30 didn't seem like a big number until I started. And the things I want to do are also the things I want to do before I die so I'm not going to make another list. There's more in this chapter. But I think that's all I can do at one time.