When it comes down to it, do you really know what you want to do? What are you really wanting to do in the future? Do you even know? People usually say they do but when asked to write it down, there is hesitation. We know that we want to be rich but do we want the money or what the money will buy us? This post might help clarify what you want to do as well as give you direction to your next life moment. This post deals primarily with things that you want to do in your future. Some folks that are readers of Tim Ferriss will recognize these steps from his dream line project.
What Do you Want to Do?
This is usually the struggle, what do you want to do? If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do? Quit work? OK, so you have quit your job….for what? What is the thing that you are going to do to fill all that free time now that you don’t have a job? Do you want to travel to all of those exotic locations? Buy a giant house so you can clean it daily? Sports car to race everyone on the highway? All this can be yours for less than you believe!!
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Step 1 – Life Goal Analysis – What
First things first, list three things that you want to do in the next 6 months? Would you like to travel to exotic locations? Do you want to skydive? kickboxing? Whatever it is, put the top three things on that list. Now once you have those listed, I want you to find out how much they would cost. Write those prices next to your line items.
If you put on your list to drive a Lamborghini, check out the Turo app and see how much it would cost to rent the car for the weekend. Maybe you cannot buy a Lamborghini but you can rent it one weekend per month to fill that void in your life. It is these types of ideas I am looking to open up within you. Do you really want to pay the maintenance on a Lamborghini every 10k miles? Especially when you get used to having the car and it gathers dust in your garage when you are traveling the world.
Step 2 – Life Goal Analysis – Remember the GO Part!
Once you have your list created, just start working through it! Pick up the phone and book the skydiving class, RIGHT NOW! Get on the computer and start learning the new language NOW. The key to this whole process is just to get started. You will figure it out as you move along.
We hold ourselves back from just doing because we are afraid. It could be fear, failure or the fear of the unknown. For some of your list items, the financial barrier is holding you back from completing your dream. This should not be a fear, it just needs to be handled. Don’t make the excuse that something costs too much and then stop. Start working towards paying for that line item, no matter what it takes!
Step 3 – Life Goal Analysis – Financial Considerations
For instance, in 4 months, I want to be on the beach in Nassau sipping Mai Tai’s. You have computed that the entire trip will cost you $2000. That would be $500 per month to make your dream a reality. Dedicate yourself to that dream….cancel your cable TV subscription and put that extra $150 towards your trip (as a bonus, you will figure out that you never needed that subscription in the first place). Have a garage sale and sell all of the stuff that you have accumulated that does not spark joy to your life (thank you Marie Kondo). Cook at home instead of eating takeout, start utilizing the local library and enjoy the public parks. Do some part-time work somewhere to earn that extra cash.
Another thought is instead of trying to earn more money, see if you can do the task at a cheaper cost. For instance, can you rent an apartment for cheaper than staying in the Hilton? Can you donate your time to a worthy cause that is in Nassau and they would take care of your room and board? Think outside of the box on how you would be able to enjoy these different trips.
These types of Life Goal Analysis allow us to break down our dreams and start making them a reality. You are only being held back by yourself! The world is out there ready to bring you happiness, all you have to do is take that step.
Special Thanks to the writings of Tim Ferriss
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Great ideas! I like how positive this is.
Thank you! I appreciate the comments! This was a great way for me to overcome procrastination by acting on what I wanted to do at that very moment. Everyone uses no money as a get out of jail card but that does not work in these scenarios.
Thank you for the gracious comment!
Great post! Step 2 is spot on. Fear and overthinking usually are the factors that hold people back, but it’s important to just go for it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the comment! I read somewhere to stop worrying about imaginary problems that will probably never happen. It really stuck with me to help with anxiety. We have to live in this moment with what is currently happening and not think about future problems. Living iht moment means to go for it, we always think about the worst possible scenario but not the best possible scenario.
This is a great post. This is something that I am doing at the moment. I will definitely be thinking about your methods to analyse my life goals. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for the comments! As long as you are taking a deeper look into your life goals, I feel that I have done my job. I have listed a few methods that work best for me but please, add to the list to make it better for yourself. Hope you have a fantastic life and meet all of your goals!
Love your ideas! This is a good read! Thanks for sharing.
Great post, Tim. So much food for thought. Although I have already quit my job and living as if I have that million dollars, which I don’t. These tips and ways of thinking are great. At certain levels I am still struggling with the ‘what’. But if I think about it, I do really like to write and create content that I think is valuable. Like what you put out there. Then breaking it down and see how I can achieve that. Thanks for sharing and inspiring.
Thank you for the kind words Benny! I am living vicariously through your posts and updates. You are in the route of living well, it is about the experiences and doing what you truly enjoy. The only way to know what you enjoy is to try new things. The “what” will come through experimentation and refining your good vibes. Thanks again for your comments!