Welcome to "Surpass Your Dreams". This month we will focus on goal setting. Remember that the goal of this newsletter is to help you recognize your potential and surpass your dreams. Reaching your dreams is amazing, but surpassing them is a miracle. I wish that you have the courage to follow your dreams, whatever they may be.

So, tell me what you'd like to see, and what's important to you. Are you trying to figure out what your dreams are? Have you found what they are, but are afraid to pursue them? Have you reached your dreams, and are now ready to take it to the next level? Please share with our readers what is going on with you, and how you came to the place where you are today. You can send your stories to info@surpassyourdreams.com.

Why Aren't You Taking a Chance?
How Can You Prepare for a Major Life Transition?
Book Corner
Free Newsletters
Are You Ready To Take a Chance?
Last Month
New Pricing

What's keeping you from living your dreams and having a life you love? It could be as simple as taking a chance and going for it. Last week, I took a chance, and I'd like to share what I learned.

I am writing this newsletter from home as I recently quit my high paying job in corporate America. I had the title, the money, and the prestige of working for a start-up company on Wall Street. What I didn't have was quality of life.

Everyday I walked into work unhappy and depressed. I got sick and gained weight. I stayed as long as I did because of this one sentence: "You don't quit your job until you have a new one". The only thing this sentence did was keep me stuck.

I realized that my passion and purpose in life is to coach. It's my contribution to the world and how I play a small part in making it a better place. Every day I am in awe of the trust that people place in me. It is an honor and a privilege to help people live their dreams.

I don't have another full-time job. I plan to build my coaching practice and take on Internet Marketing Consulting projects. I don't know when the clients will come, but I trust that they will.

How did I do this? I took a chance. I trusted that no matter what happened, I would be able to handle it. I really had to face my fears and trust myself and the unknown. I had to believe in me. I've never felt so powerful and so in peace.

Now, I'm not telling you to quit your job tomorrow. I realize that you have responsibilities, bills to pay, and people who depend on you. I am saying to look at your life and see where you are giving away yourself in exchange for monetary gain.

Ask yourself: Are you making steps to make your life better, or are you hoping that things will get better one day?" Are you following your passions and your heart, or are you waiting to do so one day in the future? Are you happy today or will you only be happy when things finally go your way?

The lesson I learned is that you are responsible for your own life. I could have hoped that one day my coaching practice would get bigger first before I changed my life, that one day I would find a job I loved before I left the one I had, that one day my company would recognize my contributions and listen to my ideas, but I would have missed an important lesson: THAT LIFE GETS BETTER WHEN YOU MAKE IT BETTER. No one will come in and save you. You have to save yourself. This approach is more powerful, and it builds up your inner strength.

So even when you don't know how it will happen or where you'll get the strength to do it, I say do it anyway. Trust that you have it in you and that you will be able to handle whatever comes your way. You will be amazed at the miracles that will start coming into your life. We only have one life to live and it might as well be one that we love.

II. HOW CAN YOU PREPARE FOR A MAJOR LIFE TRANSITION?

So many people are now tapping into their true Life Purpose, their true passion in life. Often, in order to follow your dream and fulfill your Life's Purpose, you might need to make some big changes: a major career transition, move to a new home or city, or scale back your lifestyle.

Below are strategies for preparing for a big leap in your life, to make it as effortless and stress-free as possible.

1. Ask yourself: Am I ready to do whatever it takes to make my dreams happen?

   In order to make your dreams become reality, you may need to simply your lifestyle and scale back to some degree, and in some cases you might need to make some radical changes in your life. So the big question you need to address, right off the bat, is "Am I ready to do whatever it takes? How badly do I want this?" Assess your true level of commitment, and be honest with yourself. Are you willing to live with less money? Can you do without some of the "luxuries" like a dishwasher and an expensive car? These are the types of questions to start asking yourself now.

2. Next question: To what DEGREE am I willing to make changes in my lifestyle?

   Once you've established that you ARE ready to make changes, you need to assess what changes might be necessary and to what extent you really need to change things in your life. Do you need to move to a new city or a less expensive home or apartment? Are others (spouse, children) going to be impacted by this transition, and how specifically will this impact them—will THEY be able/willing to make changes as well? Do you have enough money set aside to finance this major change, and if not what do you need to do to create the necessary reserves? Do you need to spend some time doing more research before you can even make some of these decisions? Be as specific as you can be at this stage—you are trying to take a realistic view of what would need to happen, what needs to be different, in order for your dream to become reality.

   Don't be put off by the very fact that major changes are necessary. Yes, you are likely to feel a bit anxious and scared by the reality of what you might need to do in order to achieve your dream. Rest assured that if it feels right in your heart, it will work out, and don't be deterred by your fears. Just acknowledge them and keep on going.

3. Create your transition action plan.

   Now that you've faced the tough questions and you have a high-level idea of what steps might be necessary, it's time create your action plan. Take a good look at the steps you think you'll need to take in order to have a solid action plan and write them all down, then try and organize them into a proposed timeline and schedule, or a checklist. This will give you more of a feeling of control over your transition period.

4. Get organized and clear out the clutter.

   One of the things that will really help you simply your life in preparation for your "big leap" is to get your physical environment well organized. This means looking at all your material belongings and deciding which you will keep and which you can toss out—chances are, you don't really need or use all that stuff you've accumulated in your life. In particular, if you're moving to a smaller home or apartment, you won't want to pay for storage for all those unnecessary items, so do your best to get rid of what you really won't use anymore. Be willing to "clear out the old to make room for the new"!

5. Pay off any debts and consult with your financial professional.

   One of the greatest challenges, when considering a major life transition and simplifying your life, is how to survive on less money. One way to reduce your fears is to have a solid understanding of your current financial situation and to take steps, as part of your transition plan, to pay off debts and have a good financial plan. Know exactly how much you will need to live comfortably in your new simplified lifestyle.

   In particular, if you are starting a business or changing to a career that pays less than you're used to, you need to have a cash reserve of at least 6 month's living expenses, preferably much more. A life transition can be stressful enough all by itself, and you can reduce your stress level considerably if you know you have enough financial reserve available. Get your financial professionals involved—banker, CPA, financial planner—in reviewing your income, assets, investments and liabilities, so you feel confident you know exactly where you stand and how much you have to work with.

6. Make sure you (and your possessions) are protected and in good health.

   If you are leaving a job that supplies you with medical and dental benefits, make arrangements to have a complete physical and dental checkup, and take care of any health concerns before you make the leap (this goes for family members, too, if they are covered by your insurance plan).

   Make sure you have some other form of health insurance lined up for yourself before you actually leave your job. Make sure your homeowners and car insurance is in order, and your car and major household appliances are running smoothly and won't require major service for some time—get them serviced now if necessary. A little preventative maintenance for you and your possessions now will go a long way toward preventing costly problems later.

7. Set up your support system.

   Major life transitions come with a certain amount of stress already built in. Change is stressful for everyone, and you're only human. As you work through your transition, create a support system for yourself. Rally trusted friends and family members around you for moral support; let them know you will need their support and tell them how they can best support you—don't expect others to be mind-readers!

   Hire a coach. Your coach will be a valuable asset and will keep you focused and on track with your action plan. Last but not least, as you move through your transition period, if you find you are suffering from the effects of stress (such as developing chronic physical illness or depression), please consult immediately with your doctor or with a therapist. You WILL need support during this time, so be aware of this and be willing to ask others for help!

8. Be flexible.

   Allow for some flexibility and 'unknowns' in your transition plan. Things can and will come up that you did not anticipate and over which you have little or no control. Family members get sick, your car breaks down, other major or minor disasters can happen, and some days you might suffer a crisis of faith in yourself. Expect the unexpected!

9. Take time out to take care of you!

   For people whose transitions involve starting in a new job or starting a new business, this might mean putting in a lot of extra hours. You love what you're doing and you're passionate about it, so at first it's fun and exciting and doesn't feel like extra work at all! It's all too easy though, in the initial months of a transition, to neglect your self-care and lose that all-important life-balance. You need to plan ahead and schedule regular time-outs for yourself-to exercise, rest, play and socialize with the people you care about. Maintaining the right balance in your life will be critical to your success long-term, not to mention your health!

10. Celebrate your courage and commitment—you did it!

    Making the decision to pursue your dreams and life purpose is, let's face it, HUGE. Many people never get there. As you move forward in your own transition, take time out periodically to celebrate your successes, big and small, and your commitment to creating a better life for yourself-you are a courageous person and you deserve to be proud of yourself! Bravo to YOU!

About the writer: This piece was written by Lisa J. Huff, (PCC) Professional Certified Coach. Lisa can be reached at Lisa@coach2success.com.

This month's Book Corner is devoted to providing you with suggested resources to help take a chance.

Joy Is My Compass: Taking the Risk to Follow Your Bliss, by Alan Cohen.
This book is an empowering collection of insights on following one's own true path to "Joy." Alan Cohen tells readers how to devote their attention, heart, and vision to nurture the spirit in life and to hold that vision to live in joy and make happiness a priority rather than a pain.

Hug the Monster : How to Embrace Your Fears and Live Your Dreams by Sandra Leicester & David Miln Smith.
This book is an action program for profound self-discovery-exercises, insights and adventures for breaking patterns, ending boredom and claiming more joy and success. Smith shares the remarkable secrets he's gained over years of taking risks to conquer fear and to challenge himself.

Go for It! : Successful Risk-Taking for Women by Betsy Morscher & Barbara Schindler Jones.
This book is a guide to risk-taking for women offers a step-by-step program of personal growth, sharing the experiences of real-life women and including information on inner blocks, pinpointing values, the ABCs of success, and more.

IV. FREE NEWSLETTERS

Are you reaching for greater success AND balance? Get help by subscribing to The Business Woman's Advantage, a free, e-mail newsletter for women with entrepreneurial spirit. To subscribe send an e-mail to: bwa-request@listhost.net. Put subscribe in the body (not subject line) of the e-mail or visit the Business Woman's Advantage web-site at http://www.womansadvantage.com/bwa.

Would you like to have your newsletter or e-zine listed here? Please send an e-mail to info@surpassyourdreams.com with the name, web-site address and 1-2 sentence description of your on-line publication.

Taking a chance andliving a life you love takes commitment and courage. Sometimes our focus on having it figured out first keeps us from trying at all.

If you are ready to take a chance, then Personal Coaching may be right for you.

For a Free 30-minute Telephone Coaching Session, call me at (516) 432-2440, or send an e-mail to info@surpassyourdreams.com. This session will give you the opportunity to see first hand if a personal coach is right for you. My web-site is at http://www.surpassyourdreams.com

Last month's issue was dedicated to setting and reaching goals. Are you waiting for the perfect goal, the one that will finally get you moving? Most of us spend our lives waiting for something. Once we have the perfect job, more money, a better relationship, a nicer house, car, etc., we will finally be happy. We also do this with goals. Once we find the perfect goal, then we can go for it, but not before then.

So ask yourself, "What are you committed to in your life?" Like the perfect job or the better relationship, the perfect goal will not magically appear. Be responsible for your own life and your own happiness. Make it happen!

To find out how to get past fear so you can live your dreams, please check the newsletter archive list at the top of the page.

I recently introduced a new program called SUCCESS-EXPRESS which costs $99 a month for Two, 40-minute telephone coaching sessions. This would be a great way for you to see the benefits of coaching.

I also offer an additional program called SUCCESS EXPRESS PLUS which costs $229 a month for Four, 50-minute telephone coaching sessions. When you are ready to make the commitment to change your life, this is the package for you.

Anyone can subscribe to the "Surpass Your Dreams" newsletter by sending an email with the word "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line to newsletter@surpassyourdreams.com. To cancel, send an email with the words "UNSUBSCRIBE" to the same address.

Your e-mail address will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL and will NOT be shared with any other party or mailing list.

Have a great month!

Deborah

Copyright © 1999, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute text from the newsletter or the content in its entirety so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author (Deborah J. Brown) is attached.

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