Tomorrow is my anniversary.
My wedding day was a dream come true and was the happiest day of my
life. I am so grateful for my husband
and the life we have built together. I
was single for many years and got married in my 40’s (the story is described in
my blogpost “The Reunion” dated 9/29/16).
Our journey together started in 2004….
Wait… what does this have to do with goal-setting? Does setting goals really help make our
dreams come true? Yes, I believe it does. Making
the effort to set goals and write them down helps us identify our dreams! When we identify our dreams in life, we can
begin to take small steps toward making our dreams a reality.
In January 2004, I attended a Time Management seminar, and
it changed my life. The seminar was
intended for lawyers to help them establish professional or personal
goals. The instructor gave each attendee
a workbook and asked us to think about our goals in our life or career. What do we want to do, or have, or accomplish
before we die?
I knew that the attendees probably were focusing on their legal
career goals, but I decided to use the exercise to identify my personal goals
in life. The instructor gave us time to
write down three goals in the left column, the resources we needed to
accomplish the goals in the middle column, and in the right column, at least
one small step we could take right away to begin reaching the goals. What a
challenge! I thought. What if I can’t think of anything to write
down? What if I can’t think of any personal
goals??
With my workbook open, I began to think about what I wanted
to accomplish, what I wanted in my life.
To my surprise, I easily thought of dreams I had deep in my heart. With just a minimal effort and focus, they
came to the surface! Now was the time to
turn those dreams into goals and put them on paper. The first thing I wrote was… “get married.” My dream was to get married and have a family,
and I now identified it as my number one goal.
The second thing I wrote was “start an art hobby.” The third thing was “travel.” I wrote down two other goals (yes, writing a
book was one of them!). Also, to my
surprise, it was not difficult to think of resources I needed, and one small
step that I could take that following weekend to get started to reach each of
my goals!
The following weekend, I took my first small step toward
starting an art hobby. I went to a bead
store and bought the supplies I needed to begin making jewelry. Within four weeks, I had organized a limited
liability company and I began selling custom-made jewelry. Within a few short months, I was selling my jewelry
in a few local boutiques. Over the
years, I have loved making custom-designed jewelry, especially for
weddings. If I hadn’t attended that
seminar and focused on my dreams and turned them into goals, I would not have
launched the jewelry business. I probably would still be thinking about it and wishing I had an art hobby!
In August of 2004, I met my husband. Friends set us up on a blind date. I don’t remember any particular step that I
took, other than talking to my friends and praying about it. I believe God blessed me and answered my
prayers, and I believe that it was more than just coincidence that I met my
husband the same year that I wrote down the dream in my heart.
The day after the seminar in January, I opened a travel
account at the bank, and I began a direct deposit into the account. I’ve used that account over the years for
travel (including our honeymoon), and the account is continually being
replenished for more travel. Opening a
separate travel account was such an easy step to take, and the account is there
for my husband and me when we decide to take our dream trip to Ireland!
It amazes me how our dreams can become reality with a little
thought and planning. When we sit down
and identify our dreams in life, bring them to the surface, and write them
down, they become reachable with that first small step. Then, when you begin to take the small steps,
you realize the goal can be achieved.
The dream is no longer just a thought, it becomes a reality!
Take that step. Write down your dreams. Get started!!
Devotion
Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last,
there is life and joy. Proverbs 13:12
(TLB)
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for my husband and family. Thank you for making my dreams come
true. My heart is filled with gratitude,
for you filled the longing in my heart and answered my prayers. You are the Giver of Life, our Sustainer, and
our Redeemer. We are not alone; you are
always with us and you know the cares, concerns, and dreams in our hearts. Our hope is in you, you guide our steps, and
we will trust you always. In Jesus’
name, Amen.
