As an entrepreneur, it feels kind of mandatory to be a dreamer. You have to be able to see things that other people can’t see. You have to be able to bring your passion to the forefront and learn how to create a product or service out of that passion.
BUT
There comes a time when dreaming can lead to inaction. When all you do is think about how you want your life to look while staying exactly where you are. Dreaming is the first step in doing and today is the day that you begin the doing.
WHEN YOUR THOUGHTS COME OUT OF YOUR FRIEND’S MOUTH
We all have a tendency to know exactly what needs to be done. We don’t always listen to what that little voice inside is whispering to us. We block that voice and decide that we just don’t need to hear what it has to say.
Doubt was creeping into my mind. Doubt that I knew deep down was irrational but I couldn’t stop it. It began to take over my life. I began to question my business, question my passion and doubt my ability to serve those that I wanted to serve.
As I was talking to my friend on a coaching call, she asked me to close my eyes. She wanted me to start envisioning what I wanted my life to look like. I know what I want to achieve in my life. I know what I want my life to look like. And then…
SHAME.
I felt shame for the thoughts that were coming up. I thought the way that I wanted my life to look was wrong. I shouldn’t want the things that I want. So I had to play small. I had to remind myself that those things aren’t possible. That I really didn’t need any of them. That I didn’t deserve any of them.
I kept that shame hidden. Thinking that if I could just think of other things that I wanted in my life, the shame would go away. That there were more important things that I could want in my life. Different dreams that I could imagine.
But the thing is…
I began to make excuses. That is what shame does. It makes your dreams seem ridiculous and completely unrealistic. So I thought that my dreams no longer mattered. I could live without the dreams that I have, can’t I?
In a matter of minutes, I knew deep down that I couldn’t. That living without what I wanted my life to look like meant that I wasn’t living my life. I would be living someone else’s life and that wasn’t fair to who I wanted to be.
And so at that moment, I decided to take my dreams into my own hands and shut the shame down.
DREAMS ARE POWERFUL BUT NOT AS POWERFUL AS ACTION
Dreams will only get you so far but they are your starting point. Having a dream means that you have a vision of where you want to go.
It is time to dig deeper. Time to write out a plan to make that dream a reality. As a blogging coach, I always ask my clients what their why is. I believe that is the first place EVERY entrepreneur should start.
Why do you do what you do?
In order to answer this question, you need to dig deeper than you ever have before. It isn’t just a quick, well I love doing it.
Keep asking yourself why. Get down to the root of the reason and then begin to move forward from there. My why is…
I know how painful and lonely it can be to keep your story inside of yourself. I want to show women that by sharing their stories, they are not only helping to heal others, but they are also beginning a healing journey that they were desperately searching for. There is power in sharing your story and I want EVERY woman to know that.
I lived my why. I went from hiding who I was to showing the world every broken piece that makes up who I am. It is terrifying but it is also powerful and incredibly freeing.
4 ACTIONABLE STEPS TO HELP YOU STEP INTO YOUR POWER
Over the past two weeks, I have been working on creating habits that will bring me closer to living my dream life. My wonderful friend, Gina Brogan, the owner of 2nd Act Life Coaching, was able to teach me ways to bring my dream life to me now while I work on truly reaching that part of my life.
What I have learned during this time is that just because I am not close to where I want to be, doesn’t mean that I can’t start bringing in these habits and pieces of my life that I can control.
- Create a list of non-negotiables.
- Create a habit tracker.
- Create a plan.
- Visualize your future.
Create a list of non-negotiables. This was a game-changer for me. I am still working on getting a few worked into my schedule but every day these are the habits that I want to have in my life. I am moving these from my dream life routine to my current life.
Everyone’s non-negotiables are going to be different. Think about what it is that you want to create in your every day. My non-negotiables include…
1| Reading.
2| Yoga. This one I am still working on getting in every day.
3| Meditating. I do a guided meditation in the morning and I do a 15 min silent meditation in the evening.
4| Reading a bedtime story to my youngest.
5| Journaling. I journal in the morning after I meditate. I just write everything down that comes to me and then I write an I am and I have list every single day.
Create a habit tracker. This is the best way to keep track of your non-negotiables. It will help to show you where you are struggling and where you are succeeding. I bought a little habit tracker from Indigo but you can also write them on a piece of notebook paper or even create a bullet journal to keep track of them.
Create a plan. What do you need to do to get to the next step in your dream life? Write down each step that you need to take. In creating a plan, you will be able to set goals that will help you reach that plan. Break it down into 30 days, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. Sometimes if you can’t think that far ahead, stop at the 3-month mark. You can always re-evaluate after that.
Visualize your future life. This one has been a struggle for me but I am working on it.
Ways to make this step a bit easier.
Find a buddy to ask you visualization questions, clearly as I found out from above this works well for me but on my own, I also like to write it down so I can review it and then meditate on it. Other ideas may include a Zoom visualization class to get some mastermind energy going, a dream board or visualization board.
Are you ready to step fully into your power and create a life that you love? I can’t wait to see your growth and expansion that happens starting today. Be your best beautiful and watch as you change the world.
Hi, I’m Samantha, owner, and creator of Samantha Laycock Blogging. A blogging coach for women ready to share their stories. I am 35 years old, a mother of 3, a wife of 14 years, a sexual assault survivor, and a big advocate for sharing your story through blogging.
Samantha Laycock is a blogging coach for women and a freelance blogger for female entrepreneurs in the self-care industry. She is a HUGE self-care and self-love advocate, sexual assault survivor, mother of 3, a wife of 14 years, and a believer in the power of sharing your story. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook as @samanthalaycockblogging and on Pinterest as @samanthalaycockblogger