Recently I spoke at an event where participants were able to send the speakers questions after the conference. I received some great questions, but one in particular really made me think. It was a simple question, but one that took me a while to answer.
“Where do you want to be in 10 years”?
I’ve been so busy thinking about surviving each day with Evan, I realized I had forgotten to get my head out of the weeds and think long term.
If you don’t have a dream, there’s no way to achieve it. Simple as that. Most of us inevitably just end up where we’re headed. For some, that place is exactly where we would have wanted to be anyway.
These are the lucky few. For most, we end up somewhere, have no idea how we got there, and struggle to figure out where to go next.
I won’t pretend to have it all figured out, nor do I have all the answers. What I do know, however, is that unless you define success and your goals ahead of time, you’ll react through life without making decisions that will strategically get you where you want to go.
Here are some questions to think about:
- What are you passionate about?
- If you could be living your dream life, what would it look like?
- What kinds of things do you look forward to?
Don’t worry about how you’re going to get there yet. Just decide where you want to be. Your brain will work backwards to fill in the gaps and figure out what paths you need to take to get there. You first have to have the vision. Where do you want to be in 10 years?
(On a side note, just wanted to let you know that the weekly motivational emails are going to start coming on a monthly basis. I’ll still regularly post articles, tips, and ideas on Facebook (so make sure you “Like” us if you haven’t already done so), but the actual weekly motivational emails will be monthly motivational emails. My current speaking and travel schedule are making it really difficult to post messages weekly, and I really want to make sure you get meaningful, relevant content. I hope you’ll understand.)
So well said, Anne!
Thanks, Matt!
This article just helped me realize why I always feel like life is happening to me instead of for me. I haven’t taken the time to decide where I want to be in 10 years because I don’t believe it can happen for me. But now I realize, if I don’t at least voice my dream, it can’t take shape. (I’m not one of those rare lucky ones that get carried to a place of bliss.)
Amen, Liz. I couldn’t have said it better myself.