Usually I dream BIG.  I imagine myself accomplishing all kinds of amazing things because I believe living my dreams is possible.  And since I don’t want to dream about doing boring stuff, I dream about adventures I can take and goals I can achieve when I stick to my strengths.

But my problem is that I get stuck seeing the big picture and don’t like to pay attention to the little things I need to do every day to make my dreams happen.  So I end up not doing those little things and get distracted with just getting caught up in my day-to-day activities.  And since I’m not doing what needs to be done to live my dreams, my big dreams stay big dreams.  They never come true.

So this year I’m changing my Dream Doing strategy.  Instead of starting with setting goals based on my big dreams, I’m starting with what I want to do every day.  What actions do I commit to taking every single day?

If I know what I’ll be doing with my time, then I can set goals so I have something to work on during those times.  I first figure out what action I want to take; then I figure out what goal to work toward to make that action have a purpose. 

It may sound like a weird way to set goals, but I think I’m going to like it…I’ll let you know over the next few weeks as I share exactly what actions I’m choosing to take and what goals I’m working toward this year. 

To your dreams,
Bonnie Jean

For instance, this past Saturday, I came one state closer to to living dream #90 on my ‘111 Until Heaven’ dream list.  This particular dream is to compete in some sort of competition in all 50 states.

Here are the races I’ve completed so far:

1. Marathon in North Carolina.
2. Half-Marathon in Maryland.
3. Marathon in Virginia.
4. Marathon in Illinois.
5. 15k in Florida.
6. Marathon in South Carolina.
7. 15k Trail Race in Georgia (just completed on June 5!)

I gotta tell you…I thought I was in shape–until I hit that trail in Jackson, Georgia on Saturday.

The heat and humidity and hills and rocks and mud and roots made my toughest marathon seem like a lovely jog compared to this single-lane trail.  At least I was able to stay in the shade of the woods most of the race.  I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to run if I had to deal with the direct heat of the sun!

Before I started, my goal was to finish the race in an hour and a half.  I didn’t exactly hit my time goal.  My pace was about a minute slower per mile than I was able to run on the trails around home, so I finished the 9.3 mile race in 1:40:31 instead of the 1:30 time I anticipated. 

I did hit my goal of FINISHING the race to the BEST of my ability.  This race wasn’t easy for me, but I LOVED the challenge this race provided.  It gave me a chance to push myself and find out just how tough I am.  There were times I felt like quitting, but quitting wasn’t an option.  I had a goal—to finish the race—and I was DETERMINED to do whatever it took to accomplish that goal no matter how sore or tired or worn out I was.

What have you done to challenge yourself lately?  Leave a comment and let me know!

To your dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S.  It turns out my time was good enough for a 4th place finish in my age group.  Now I’m hooked on trail races because I’ve discovered they provide a new and different challenge than regular road races.

The next one I have my eye on is this Navy SEAL Extreme Challenge in Tennessee in October.  Now this is a challenge:

http://www.smokymountainendeavors.com/SEAL_Extreme_Challenge.html

Bonnie Jean Schaefer’s Top 10 Goals for 2010

1. Write a really bad draft of my second young adult novel, The Dream Doers and the Champion Challenge
2. Edit my novel so it becomes a really good story
3. Publish the edited novel
4. Sell at least 1,000 copies of each book in The Dream Doers series
5. Make 10,000 new Dream Doer Friends
6. Run a race in four different states
7. Run a six-minute mile (my fastest mile ever was 6:56, so I have a lot of fitness work to do!)
8. Learn how to play my keyboard
9. Find a boyfriend (this one might be the trickiest goal of all)
10. Earn $100,000 for my business

Your turn now.  Leave a comment and let me know your top ten goals for 2010.  And it’s okay to have more than ten or less than ten.  Just share what you want to achieve this year.

To your dreams,
Bonnie Jean

This is the day of fresh starts.  New beginnings.  Renewed hope.

This is the day of BIG DREAMS!  For some weird reason, it seems easier to dream big dreams on January 1st.  It also seems easier to believe in the possibility of making those dreams happen on this particular day.

I know I’ve certainly cooked up some ambitious goals for 2010.  Before I reveal what they are, though, I need to let them simmer over the weekend while I create an ACTION PLAN.  I want to make sure that whatever goals I set for 2010, I know exactly what I’m going to do to hit them!

To your dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Finding a way to do what you dream starts with you being a person of great character. Being a person of great character involves being trustworthy, being passionate and being focused.

To be trustworthy, passionate and focused, you must develop 12 core ‘champion’ traits. Last week, we finished with Cool Dream Doer Rule #3: Be Passionate by talking about chasing your dreams with courage.

Today, we’re going to begin the four part series on Cool Dream Doer Rule #4: Be Focused. It starts with the core champion trait of FOCUS.

Why should you clarify your focus?

As a champion Dream Doer, you must clarify your focus. The more clear you are about what you want, the more likely you are to actually get it. Plus when you’re clear about your goals, it’s easier to ignore distractions, concentrate on what you need to do to and make your dreams happen.

What is focus?

Focus is concentrating complete attention on one thing at a time. When you’re focused, nothing distracts you. You’re able to control your thoughts so that you’re only thinking about the activity you’re working on at that moment.

When it comes to goal setting, being focused means that you constantly adjust your goals so that you have a clear image of who you want to be and what you want to accomplish.

How can you clarify your focus?

To help you clarify your goal setting focus, finish these sentences:

1. In one year, I want to _______________. Be specific!
2. To help me hit my one year goal, my six-month goal is __________________. Remember, be specific.
3. To help me hit my six-month goal, my 30-day goal is _______________. Include details.
4. To help me hit my 30-day goal, my goal for the week is _______________. Remember…details, details, details!
5. Now…one small little thing I can do TODAY to help me reach my goal for the week is _________________.

What can you do NOW to clarify your focus?

First, complete the goal setting activity I just explained. Then, DO what you wrote in step number five. Give it a try right now!

Being able to focus your complete attention on your goals is super important. It’s also a bit tricky because it’s so easy to get distracted.

That’s why next week we’ll talk more about Dream Doer Rule #4: concentrate your ENERGY.

Until next time, remember that you always find a way to do what you dream when you stick to your strengths.

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. Have you signed up for your FREE audio novel yet and your FREE 14-day Dream Doer Crash Course? If not, CLICK HERE now!

It’s Find a Way to Do What You Dream Day!

Finding a way to do what you dream starts with you being a person of great character. Being a person of great character involves being trustworthy, being passionate and being focused.

To be trustworthy, passionate and focused, you must develop 12 core ‘champion’ traits. So last week, we talked about the first part of being passionate and the character trait of passion.

When you express your passion, you’re ready to ignite your ENTHUSIASM.

Why should you ignite your enthusiasm?

Because it’s like setting your dreams on fire. (Just to be on the safe side, I’m not talking about real fire. So please, please, please DON’T actually set anything on fire.)

With the kind of fire I’m talking about, you feel thrilled to be alive because you know that you get to live your dreams every day of your life and nothing is going to stand in your way of making that happen.

What is enthusiasm?

Enthusiasm is emotional energy that feeds on dreams, desires and goals.

Like I just mentioned, it feels like a fire burning inside you. When that fire burns hot enough, you can see it in your eyes and feel it driving your actions so everything you do helps you find a way to make your dreams come true.

It is passion that fuels that fire of enthusiasm.

How can you ignite your enthusiasm?

To help you ignite your enthusiasm, follow these steps:

1. Write down one dream you feel the most passionate about.
2. Write down five reasons this dream is important to you. (This is the ‘fire’ of enthusiasm!)
3. Draw a picture of your dream.
4. Now draw flames around the picture to remind yourself of the five reasons you wrote down in step 2.
5. Put the picture someplace where you will see it everyday.

What can you do NOW to ignite your enthusiasm?

It’s hard to be enthusiastic if nobody around you knows about your dreams and the things you are passionate about.

So go tell one person you trust right now about your big dream. Let your mom or dad or brother or sister or friend see the enthusiasm in your eyes and hear the enthusiasm in your voice when you tell them what you want and why.

But no matter how much passion and enthusiasm you have, you’re going to face obstacles as you chase your dreams.

However, when you follow the third part of Dream Doer Rule #3: unleash your CREATIVITY, you can figure out how to overcome any obstacle standing in the way of your dreams. So we’ll learn about that next week.

Until next time, remember that you always find a way to do what you dream when you stick to your strengths.

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. Have you signed up for your FREE audio novel yet and your FREE 14-day Dream Doer Crash Course? If not, CLICK HERE now!

 It’s Find a Way to Do What You Dream Day!

Finding a way to do what you dream starts with you being a person of great character. Being a person of great character involves being trustworthy, being passionate and being focused.

It’s Find a Way to Do What You Dream Day!

To be trustworthy, passionate and focused, you must develop 12 core ‘champion’ traits. In previous posts, we talked about the four traits involved in being trustworthy: integrity, consistency, leadership and wisdom.

Today and for the next three weeks, we’ll talk about Dream Doer Rule #3: Be Passionate and the four traits you need to follow this rule: passion, enthusiasm, creativity and courage.

Let’s get started with one of the most exciting traits of all—PASSION.

Why should you express your passion?

When you express your passion, you feel excited, happy and special. So instead of keeping what you’re passionate about all bottled up inside, you need to find a way to express it. When you do, you free yourself to have fun and enjoy life.

What is passion?

Passion is expressing intense emotional drive and excitement toward any strong desire like your dreams.

But you can’t express your passion until you know what you want, why you want it and how to get it.

And you know you have real, true passion about a dream when you can’t forget about that dream even when you try to hide it or ignore it.

The great thing about passion is that it lives inside every person, including you. That means it’s your job to find what you’re passionate about, then DO whatever it takes to chase your dreams and live a life filled with passion.

How can you express your passion?

To help you find and express your passion, answer these questions:

1. What is one thing I would like to DO? Why? How can I do that?
2. Who is one person I would like to MEET? Why? How can I meet that person?
3. Where is one place I would like to GO? Why? How can I get there?
4. What is one thing I would like to HAVE? Why? How can I have it?
5. What do I want more than anything in the world? Why? How can I get what I want?

What can you do NOW to express your passion?

If you could do something fun and exciting right now, what would you do?

The answer to that question is probably something you’re passionate about, so go do it now!

By figuring out what you want, why you want it and how to get it, you can find a way to be passionate and do what you dream.

Then the next step is to set your passion on fire. You do that by following the second part of Dream Doer Rule #3: ignite your ENTHUSIASM, which is what we’ll talk about next week.

Until next time, remember that you always find a way to do what you dream when you stick to your strengths.

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. Have you signed up for your FREE audio novel yet and your FREE 14-day Dream Doer Crash Course? If not, CLICK HERE now!

It’s Find a Way to Do What You Dream Day!

Finding a way to do what you dream starts with you being a person of great character. Being a person of great character involves being trustworthy, being passionate and being focused.

To be trustworthy, passionate and focused, you must develop 12 core ‘champion’ traits. So last week, we talked about the third part of being trustworthy and the character trait of LEADERSHIP.

When you live with integrity, depend on your consistency, and lead by example, you are ready to act with WISDOM. That’s why today’s post is all about wisdom.

Why should you act with wisdom?

You should act with wisdom because taking wise action brings you closer to your goals, not farther from them. Acting with wisdom also helps you be a leader people respect, develop consistent habits and stay true to your values.

What is wisdom?

Wisdom is combining what you know, what you have experienced, what you understand to be true and what you feel to be true (your instincts) to figure out the right actions for you to take.

It’s important for you to consider ALL FOUR of these areas when setting goals. If you ignore one of them, you risk making the wrong decisions that will lead to wrong actions and negative results.

Plus the ability to make good, positive, wise decisions that you can trust is how you become a solid, dependable leader.

How can you act with wisdom?

To help you act with wisdom, consider these five questions when setting goals:

1. What do I know about this goal?
2. What experience do I have hitting a goal like this? (By the way, it’s okay if you don’t have any experience; just start taking action toward your dreams, and you’ll soon have all kinds of cool experience with goal setting!)
3. What do I understand about this goal?
4. What do my instincts tell me about this goal?
5. Based on what I know, have experienced, understand and feel, what action should I take?

What can you do NOW to act with wisdom?

Practice acting with wisdom by setting a goal and asking yourself the five “wise” questions to help you determine what action to take toward that goal. Then take the action that shows how wise you are!

By thinking about what you are going to do with all your goals and acting with wisdom, you can find a way to do what you dream.

But to do what you dream, you also need to be passionate. That’s why next week’s episode is all about Dream Doer Rule #3: express your PASSION.

Until next time, remember that you always find a way to do what you dream when you stick to your strengths.

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. Have you signed up for your FREE audio novel yet and your FREE 14-day Dream Doer Crash Course? If not, CLICK HERE now!

It’s Find a Way to Do What You Dream Day!

Finding a way to do what you dream starts with you being a person of great character. Being a person of great character involves being trustworthy, being passionate and being focused. To be trustworthy, passionate and focused, you must develop 12 core ‘champion’ traits.

So last week, we talked about the second part of being trustworthy and the character trait of CONSISTENCY.

When you live with integrity and depend on your consistency, you are ready to LEAD by example. That’s why today’s post is all about leadership.

Why should you lead by example?

You should lead by example because the best leaders SHOW others how to live by the way they live.

You shouldn’t just tell people you can do what you dream; you should show them by finding a way to live your own dreams.

When you are a leader, you can influence your friends and people around you for good. You can motivate them and help them become the best they can be.

No matter how old you are, you can make a difference when you lead by example.

What is leadership?

Leadership is blazing trails for others to follow.

A leader takes command, shows the way and acts as a guide.

A leader makes tough decisions and sticks to those decisions.

A leader does what she believes is best for herself and those following her even because it’s the right thing to do, not because it’s what the people around her thinks she should do.

A leader is also humble and puts others first.

And a leader acts with consistency.

How can you lead by example?

To help you lead by example, consider these three questions when you have the chance to be a leader:

1. What is the best thing for the people following me?
2. What actions can I take that SHOW people around me what to do?
3. What is the RIGHT thing to do in this situation?

What can you do NOW to lead by example?

Practice being a leader by setting an example for your friends and family that finding a way to do what you dream is possible.

To practice, set a goal for something you want to accomplish 30 days from now. Then every day for the next 30 days, do one thing that will bring you a little closer to that goal.

If you do one little thing every day, you’ll be able to hit your goal and do what you dream!

By setting big goals to reach in 30 days and then breaking those goals into smaller daily goals, you’ll know what you need to do to be a leader. Then you have to take action to make those dreams happen.

In next week’s post, we’ll talk about the fourth champion trait you need to develop to follow Dream Doer Rule #2: act with WISDOM.

Until next time, remember that you always find a way to do what you dream when you stick to your strengths.

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. Have you signed up for your FREE audio novel yet and your FREE 14-day Dream Doer Crash Course? If not, CLICK HERE now!

It’s Find a Way to Do What You Dream Day!

Finding a way to do what you dream starts with you being a person of great character. Being a person of great character involves being trustworthy, being passionate and being focused.

To be trustworthy, passionate and focused, you must develop 12 core ‘champion’ traits. So last week, we talked about the first part of being trustworthy and the most important character trait: living with INTEGRITY.

Today we’re going to build on that and talk about being CONSISTENT.

Why should you depend on your consistency?

When you become the kind of person who makes a habit of setting goals and taking action to achieve your goals, you can always depend on yourself to find a way to do what you dream. That is what being a Champion Dream Doer is all about.

What is consistency?

Consistency is being reliable, dependable and persistent.

People know what to expect from you day in and day out. You know what you expect from yourself day in and day out.

You develop habits that improve your life every day, positive habits based on the trait of integrity.

Warning!!! It’s also possible to develop negative habits that take you farther away from your dreams, habits like setting goals but doing nothing about them.

How can you depend on your consistency?

To help you develop good, consistent habits, ask yourself these questions:

1. Who can you always depend on to help you when you need help, take care of you when you need taken care of and listen to you when you need to talk? How does that person’s consistency make you feel?
2. Who are you not sure you can depend on to help you when you need help? How does that person’s inconsistency make you feel?
3. How do you know you can depend on yourself to follow through with your goals?

What can you do NOW to be consistent?

To learn how to be consistent, start by creating a ‘morning success habit’ for yourself. What same actions can you do every morning to make sure you get your day started right?

For example, what time do you get up? What do you do right after you get up? What do you do next?

As part of your morning success habit, write down one thing you can do sometime that day to take you closer to your dreams. Then DO it!

By setting up positive Dream Doer habits like this, you’ll be able to depend on your consistency as you find a way to do what you dream.

In next week’s post, we’ll talk about the third champion trait you need to develop to follow Dream Doer Rule #2: LEAD by example.

Until next time, remember that you always find a way to do what you dream when you stick to your strengths.

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. Have you signed up for your FREE audio novel yet and your FREE 14-day Dream Doer Crash Course? If not, CLICK HERE now!