How did you find a way to live your dreams today?

I set a goal to work on writing my novel for 30 minutes.  I had to find a way to achieve that goal because I am a Dream Doer, and I wanted to complete my daily mission.

So even though I was tired after working all day, I sat down at my computer, set a timer and started writing.

At the end of the 30 minutes, I had added 914 words to my novel.

I set a goal, did what I said I would do about that goal and got great results. 

So I’m going to set a more ambitious goal for tomorrow.  I intend to write for at least two hours and add 3,000 words to my novel.  Talk about a personal challenge!

Granted, the quality of my writing at this point is lousy, but I love the way I feel when I write.  It feels like I’m doing what I was born to do.  It feels like I am being who I was born to be.

That’s how I lived my dreams today.  What about you?

To your dreams,
Bonnie Jean

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 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!

To find a way to do what you dream, you have to be a person capable of making anything happen. Like we talked about in last week’s post, that starts with being yourself.

The next step or Dream Doer Rule, is to be trustworthy. This involves four characteristics or ‘champion traits,’ and we’ll talk about Champion Trait I today: live with INTEGRITY.

Why should you live with integrity?

Why should you live with integrity?

And what does that have to do with living your dreams?

Well, you should live with integrity because it makes trust possible. When you live with integrity, it is possible for other people to trust you and for you to trust yourself and because you know you are a truth teller.

When you live with integrity, you know you’re being true to who you are and going for dreams you are capable of achieving.

What is Integrity?

Integrity is being honest and truthful and devoted to a moral code.

When you stay true to your values (values like telling the truth), you become a person whose dreams are honorable and worth chasing.

You also understand your own potential and your own limits. Then you’re able to focus your attention on goals you can achieve instead of goals that aren’t possible for you.

How Can You Live with Integrity?

To help you be honest and live with integrity, answer these three questions for every goal you set as you chase your dreams:

1. Is this goal possible based on my talents?
2. What will I have to do to achieve this goal?
3. Am I being honest with myself and willing to do whatever it takes to reach this goal?

What Can You Do NOW to Live with Integrity Today?

One thing you can do now to live with integrity is to set some standards to follow as you find a way to do what you dream.

Start by thinking about things you are not willing to do to get what you want. For example, you can choose to never lie, steal or cheat to get what you want.

If you know you’re willing to be honest as you pursue your dreams, choosing to live with integrity when you’re tempted to break the ‘BE TRUSTHWORTHY’ rule will be easier, and you’ll improve your character.

In next week’s post, we’ll talk about the second champion trait you need to develop to follow Dream Doer Rule #2: depend on your consistency.

Until then, 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!

*****

In these busy times, when parents and children have schedules packed to the max, family closeness can fall by the wayside. Most of us have to make an effort to guarantee that work, school, sports, and chores don’t swallow up the very relationships that make those things important.

When is the last time you played or goofed around with your child? Can you remember back that far? Many parents can’t. Life has made us so serious, so focused, that we’ve lost the joy of the simple things, and play was one of the first to go.

But as any child instinctively knows, play is essential to life. It brightens the heart and lightens the spirit. For kids, who live closer than we do to nature, play is as spontaneous as breathing. Sadly, most grown-ups have lost that skill. Our children can be our refresher course.

Playing with your child brings you back to the present, reminds you of what matters, and slows you down long enough to smell the roses. It also connects you emotionally with your child, rebuilding the closeness that the fast-paced, boring routines of life are all too quick to strip away.

Playing together is even more important for your child than it is for you, because she needs to feel close to you to feel loved and happy. If you’ve neglected time together for long enough, it may appear that your child isn’t interested in your attentions. She may even tell you as much. But that’s just bluster, hiding the fear that you will disappoint her again if she lets herself wish for time alone with you. If you initiate playing together, and do it at frequent intervals, even the most aloof pre-teen will start to look forward to it and, in time, throw herself into the fun.

What kind of playing should you do? Pay attention to the activities your child engages in: his idea of enjoyment. If these things seem boring to you, try hanging out nearby, observing as he does them, with words that express your curiosity. You just may find you actually develop a genuine interest. If your child is a couch potato, take up your perch on the couch beside him, but after you’re allowed “in,” initiate some play that might be more pleasant than TV.

Think back to what you did as a child that was memorable, especially activities you did with your parents that stay with you still. Think about things that are free or cost little, that involve experiencing life together. Start a list of ideas as they come, and add any of the following that you resonate with:

• Raking stacks of autumn leaves, then jumping or rolling in them
• Taking a hike through the forest preserve
• Skating at the roller rink together
• Walking the dog, taking turns with the rope
• Reading comics or joke books together (or books of poetry or stories)
• Making cookies, pizza or a cake
• Building a fort out of snow or chairs and blankets
• Playing hide and seek, hide the thimble, cards or board games
• Lying on a blanket looking up at the stars
• Sitting in front of the wood stove in a dark room, telling stories
• Making shadow figures on the wall with your hands and a flashlight
• Having a treasure hunt
• Roasting marshmallows over a fire
• Watching a parade
• Going to the aquarium, zoo or museum
• Flying kites together
• Building something
• Making a scrapbook
• Making up a silly poem or song
• Watching a movie, with popcorn and no interruptions
• Playing a memory game, like “I’m going to Grandma’s house, and in my suitcase I’m going to pack …”
• Getting up early to watch the sunrise from a hill
• Playing games of pretend
• Going somewhere special, like the beach
• Having a pancake picnic in the snow

Playing together is different than finding entertaining activities for your child. Play involves you, while entertainment excuses you from the picture. If you find yourself saying, “But my schedule is too busy for any of the things on that list,” consider whether your schedule needs some pruning. After all, who’s going to remember in 20 years if you stay late at work or not next Tuesday? But will your child ever forget the Tuesday you ride the rollercoaster together?

Closeness with a child cannot be taken for granted. Like any other relationship, it will slip away unless it’s made a priority. Nothing builds trust and bonding with a child like sharing a moment of silliness and laughter. Come together for light-hearted play, and you just may find your child opens up about serious subjects. The relaxed atmosphere of play helps us let our guard down and reveal more of ourselves.

When you play together, let your child feel like the most important person in your world. Give him your undivided attention: no cell phones, no interruptions, no slipping into your own private thoughts. Be present – body, mind and spirit. Then let yourself do whatever comes naturally, with the abandon you felt when you yourself were a child. Your instincts will be your guide.

Growing closer through play is easy. It just takes dedicated moments, given on a fairly regular basis, so your child begins to count on having time with you.

Let your child re-teach you the wonderful secrets of play. You both will feel more secure and peaceful – and a whole lot happier, as the reason you do it all for, starts to come back to you. 

*****

Winsome Coutts holds a teacher’s certificate in education and has written hundreds of articles on self-development. She has studied with Bob Proctor and John Demartini, popular teachers featured on “The Secret” DVD. She is the passion behind the 4lifehappykids.com and is a parent and grandparent.

Winsome is author of “Go for Your Goals” for kids – a set of downloadable e-books that guide your child through the joyful steps of learning visualization, goal-setting and the Law of Attraction. Simple language enhanced with beautiful illustrations and worksheets make these books appealing and motivating. To learn more, visit 4lifehappykids.com

*****

To your dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S.  What kinds of things do YOU do to have FUN playing with your parents?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Webisode 1 of Weirdo Wednesdays:  “lulilulelindia Shares Her Big Dream”

Weirdo Wednesdays!  Even weirdos can find a way to do what they dream.

Welcome to another wacky, totally fictional webisode of “Weirdo Wednesdays” starring Bonnie Jean Schaefer as lulilulelindia verickent, ‘grammarnotarian.’

(Weird Note:  Because lulilulelindia is a grammarnotarian, the transcript of her speech in the webisode will have no capitalization or punctuation.)

hey there  my name is luli verickent  im 16 and live in the united states of america just so you know my friends call me lulilulelindia for short  but thats without a capital l

you see im a grammarnotarian  i dont believe its right to capitalize any letter of any word  seriously when you capitalize a letter it makes that whole word look more important than the other words around it  and thats just seriously not right

another thing i believe as a grammarnotarian which for some reason my teachers have a serious problem with is that punctuation should never be used ever because all sentences are equal

seriously  when you end a sentence with a question mark it makes that sentence not look as smart as a sentence that ends with a period  and when you end a sentence with an exclamation point that sentence is like ten times more exciting than one that ends with a period or a question mark  letting one sentence be more exciting than another is just wrong in so many ways

seriously dont even get me started on commas or semicolons or apostrophes  who can figure out where all those go anyway  I mean

(interruption from off screen)

what  oh  i guess i was getting off track my big dream is to be a travel around the world person when i grow up  and now that im a silver member of the dream doer league and get to play the champion creator game i finally get to learn how make my big dream come true  thats why i am seriously excited about starting my first mission on monday

you should seriously join the dream doer league too  you get all kinds of free stuff as a bronze member including the entire audio book of the super cool young adult novel the dream doers and the summer of secrets so you dont even have to read it  seriously i listened to it and loved it  the characters inspired me to get serious about living my dreams which is why i upgraded to the silver division  because i wanted access to all the champion creator game missions  i just hope the missions dont make me use capital letters and punctuation or im going to have a hard time actually making my dreams happen

We’ll check back in with Lulilulelindia in a few weeks to see if she’s making any progress toward achieving her goals.  She does have a few weird quirks, but as long as she follows through with the missions, she’ll be able to find a way to do what she dreams. 

Weird quirks or not, you can find a way to do what you dream, too.  Life is really much more fun when you set goals and take action to make them happen.  To help you set those goals and achieve your dreams, I want to give you three FREE gifts, including the audio book of The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets. 

All three gifts are waiting for you at www.TheDreamDoers.com.  Click and claim them now!

To your dreams,
Bonnie Jean

(You can read the transcript of the video below, but make sure you watch the video if you want to see a Chihuahua try to walk in a diaper!)

Attention Dream Doers Ages 9-12:

Today we’re going to talk about the top five goal setting mistakes that keep you from living your dreams.  Now I’ve never heard anybody else talk about these particular mistakes, but I have made them all.  That’s how I know they’re real mistakes that stand between you and your dreams. 

Because I made these mistakes, it took me ten loooong years to figure out how this whole goal setting, dream doing thing works.  Once you learn what these mistakes are, though, you’ll be able to set goals and do what you dream, too. 

Two of the mistakes have to do with who you are, one of them has to do with who you hang around with and two of them have to do with how you see yourself.  I think that’s enough of an introduction, so let’s dive right in to mistake number five.

#5:  You’re a Great Dreamer But a Lousy Doer

 In order to explain this strange-sounding mistake, I should probably introduce you to Alex.  She’s one of the main characters in my book, The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets. 

She’s 11, and she’s a big time Dreamer (kinda like me).  She loves to imagine who she can be, what she can do and where she can go.  Most of all, she loves to dream about being a great tennis player and someday winning a gold medal in the Olympics. 

But because she’s a lousy doer, she freezes when it comes time to take action.  She would rather dream about what could be possible than do anything about her dreams. 

And when you’re too scared to do anything about your dreams, you can’t make them happen.  If this doesn’t sound like you, though, perhaps mistake #4 will make more sense.

#4:  You’re a Great Doer But a Lousy Dreamer

To help you understand this mistake, let me introduce you to Tyler.  He’s Alex’s best friend in the story, and he’s 12.  He doesn’t have a problem with taking action.  Actually, he’s always on the go and doing something, which means that he’s always busy, busy, busy. 

But Tyler’s usually so busy taking action that he doesn’t think things through.  And because he doesn’t consider the consequences of his actions, he often gets himself and Alex into a lot of trouble. 

Or he’s so busy being busy that he never really accomplishes anything.  He also gets distracted easily, and that makes it hard for him to live his dream of becoming a fantabulous baseball pitcher.

#3:  You are Surrounded by Normalites!

Normalites are everywhere.  Normalites are people who want to be normal, overlook their dreams and stay the same.  Some Normalites are Dreamers.  Some Normalites are Doers.  And some Normalites are Duds (like Zach, the kid that bullies Alex and Tyler). 

Dreamers and Doers can become Dream Doers, but the Duds are the ones you have to look out for.  They are the people who tell you that you can’t be who you want to be and do what you want to do. 

Being around such discouraging people is, well, discouraging.  And when you’re discouraged, you’re not motivated to dream or do anything about your dreams.  Which means you make mistake number 2.

#2:  You Don’t Have Confidence in Yourself or Your Dreams

 Without confidence, living your dreams is practically impossible.  I should know.  Since I was a kid, I’ve always dreamed of being a #1 bestselling author, but I never shared my stories or my dreams with anyone until I was 21. 

When I finally published my first book nine years later, it made it all the way to #13 on one of Amazon’s bestseller lists.  Then I did something a Dream Doer should never do; I stopped sharing my story.  I was afraid it might actually make it to the #1 spot. 

Crazy, right?  You see, my self-confidence was shaky.  Because I had shaky confidence, I let my dreams break.  But a few months ago, I found my confidence and learned how to dream up unbreakable dreams.  Still, though, I had to deal with mistake number 1.

#1:  You Have No Idea What Your Strengths Are

Just so we’re clear, a strength is something—like a skill, ability or characteristic—that you’re excellent at.  In order for that something to become a strength, you have to have natural talent in that area. 

For example, I’ve always been naturally good at writing.  I just didn’t realize it until after I graduated from college.  Now that I have spent a decade practicing writing, writing has become a strength for me. 

So when I set goals related to writing, I know I have the ability to achieve those goals.  But if you set goals that don’t match your abilities, living your dreams isn’t going to happen. 

What about you?  Which of these mistakes are keeping you from living your dreams? 

• Are you a Dreamer who freezes when it’s time to take action on your goals? 
• Are you a Doer who is too busy to set goals? 
• Are you surrounded by Normalite Duds who discourage you? 
• Do you wish you had more confidence in yourself and your dreams? 
• Do you know what your strengths are? 

No matter what mistake you’re making, you can fix it.  To help, I want to give you three FREE gifts.  All you have to do to is fill out a simple form, and you can do that right now at TheDreamDoers.com.  (Make sure you get your parent’s permission first!)

And remember, you always find a way to do what you dream when you stick to your strengths. 

To Your Dreams, 

Bonnie Jean

***Featuring audio book Chapters 16-17 of The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets, a YA Novel about best friends Alex and Tyler who must battle bullies, face their fears and keep strange secrets the summer they learn to DO what they DREAM.***

(Note:  Only Dream Doer League members can hear the audio chapters of this Amazon bestselling young adult novel, but joining is completely, totally, 100% FREE!  Just fill out the short form on the right or click here to sign up.)

You do have dreams, right?

These dreams could be about things you want do, places you want to go, people you want to meet or stuff you want to own.

These are the things that spark your passion and make you happy.  You get excited when you think about making these dreams come true.  Because these dreams are part of who you are.

Alex shows her passion when she plays tennis; Tyler shows his passion when he plays baseball.

But when they aren’t allowed to practice with each other, it’s harder for them to focus on their dreams.  They have new obstacles to face, like figuring out how to practice alone and how to find time to practice.

With all the new distractions, it’s getting harder and harder for them to do what they dream.

Then Hector tells Alex a story about his daughter.  The story teaches Alex how important it is to look where she wants to go.  In other words, she needs to be able to see in her mind the dreams she wants to accomplish.

The easiest way to help you “see” your dreams is to make them into pictures.  For instance, the gold medal Tyler made with construction paper for Alex helps Alex stay focused on her big dream—to win a gold medal one day in the Olympics.

So what can you do to make your dreams into pictures and look where you want to go? 

Remember that one of Normalcy’s weapons is to create all sorts of distractions to make you forget about your dreams.  The best way to defend against this kind of attack is to:

Get a very clear picture in your mind of what you want.

• Find or draw a picture that represents your dream.
• Look at that picture everyday.

When you look where you want to go, your mind will start figuring out ways to make that dream happen.

Then it’s your job to TAKE ACTION!

Tomorrow you’ll find out how Alex and Tyler take action to make their dreams happen…even though they aren’t allowed to practice together…

Until then, enjoy the story!

To your dreams,

Bonnie Jean

P.S.  Don’t risk missing a day of the Dream Doer Crash Course or a chapter of The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets.  Join the Dream Doer League for FREE now to get every crash course lesson emailed to you along with the members only link to the audio chapters.

P.S.S.  What about you?  Where do you want to go?  Join the conversation by leaving a comment below!