If you’re in my Reboot Your Day Job Program and you haven’t reached week four yet, skip this blog.
What if I asked you to tell me 25 things you want to have in your life – in the future? Do you think it would be hard to come up with that list? My clients did. In fact, most of them were relieved when I let them stop at 20. Want to know what was on their lists?
First, a bit of back story. I’ve been busting my butt to create a new program – Reboot Your Day Job. It’s six weeks long, and it’s jam-packed with all the bells and whistles. I’ve been taking beta-clients through the program for a couple of months now. The difference with a program is that there’s more structure to the work than the normal one on one coaching. As an unintended side-effect, I’ve had a bunch of clients go through the same exercises and I’ve been able to get some interesting data.
If you would like to go through my new program, you can drop me an email at Amy@RockYourDayJob.com and get on my waitlist. You can also sign up for a free 25-minute session – Here.
In week four, most people are starting to feel better, have more free time and less stress, so it’s a good time to talk about the future life they want to build. I ask clients to list out twenty-five things they want to have in their lives. I’m always cheerfully amazed at how difficult this exercise is for them. I’m also quite impressed with how much of what we want out of life is similar across industries, age, and gender.
Here are the common elements most of us want, in no special order:
- Health
- Happiness
- To do something outside – walk, run, sail, swim, bike, garden
- Read more
- Spend more time, be connected with, family and friends
- Reach life stage milestones – a home, college for kids, retirement
- Mental health – have peace, clarity, be guilt free
- Have a dog or cat
- Go somewhere interesting – travel far or near
- Do something interesting – start a side hustle or have a hobby
- Engage our spiritual practice – meditate, attend church, etc
Notice anything interesting about this list?
People! You don’t have to wait to do this stuff. You can take action right now to be healthier. You can start building out your personal finance plan to hit goals, right now. You don’t need to be five years older and richer before you can go for a run. All you need in order to spend some time reading for pleasure is a library card and a comfortable chair. Dogs, cats, people find ways to have pets all along the income gradient. Day trips, hobbies, startups… the barriers to entry to these are all low. You can attend church this week or sit right down and meditate.
So why are these on our “someday” lists?
Because we’re not building them in now.
And why is that?
A scarcity mindset about time. Most of us say we don’t have time but what we mean is, sometimes we’re busy. Sometimes we have to cancel things. And when we could be doing something on that list above, we’ve forgotten what the list was. But I want to offer you the idea that telling yourself you don’t have time… isn’t helping. Try this – tell yourself you have plenty of time for everything that makes life worth living and no time for the rest. Now, what do you want to do?
All you have to do to start living your dream is … start.
Good to know, right?