Certified Life Coach.org & Coach - Moving Forward: Fulfilling Your Dreams, Part 2...

As you think about what you could do to accomplish the dreams you have for your life, why not think of yourself as your own dream coach? You apply to yourself the techniques and strategies that a business coach would use when consulting with clients. What is good about this is that it gives you a different mind-set: instead of thinking of yourself as perhaps "dabbling" with your dreams, you see yourself as being serious about those dreams and doing something pro-active about them.

Where Do You Start?
The beginning point is obvious. You have to describe where you think your passions lie, and a dream that could embrace those passions. That can be challenging! I often hear women say, "I just don?t know what I want to do." If I asked you what you would love to do, if you could do whatever you wanted to do, what would you say? Your response shouldn?t be based on whimsy or wishful thinking, but on your heart?s deepest motivations.

If you are not sure what motivates you the most, make a list of your meaningful experiences over the years. There will be a common motivational thread that was always present in your satisfying achievements and accomplishments. Look for what motivated you in each. Write down your answer. Your dream for this year should have those strong desires at its very core.

You can look at that dream and examine it to see the possibilities and truths it contains. Your dream should fulfill the temperament, talents, and desires God has given you. They are the map you need to discover the life that you would find worthwhile. They are also there to fulfill God?s purposes for your life! Many times knowledge of the different things that make up "who you are" can be lacking for several reasons--- too busy a life, tending to others at your own expense, just "surviving", or not fully realizing what makes you special.

What Next?
What are the talents and abilities you have? You can know them by also looking at your most meaningful experiences over the years. List the talents or gifts that you used, or that were part of those experiences. They are there to carry out your desires, and are part of your "design" of abilities. Many times those talents can be transferable to another area of interest or to a new experience. They are part of your personal tool kit. You bring them along with you.

When my husband and I had a label business, I remember hiring a marketing person who knew nothing about labels. We knew that he was a good marketer and would use those talents, which he did! I also remember a friend who was such a good organizer at home and in her volunteer activities. When she got a full time job she suddenly realized that her skills of organization would fit perfectly with her new job. She just had never thought of herself as a "business woman", and in a way, undervalued the abilities she had "as a housewife".

Setting Goals
Third, set goals that are based on your dreams. Goals can be defined in baby steps. Sometimes I find that easier and less intimidating than trying to take on everything all at once. Then, too, as one goal is accomplished, it leads to the next, and so on. Goals get you moving. I have often noticed it is when I am not doing anything at the moment, sort of drifting, that I feel the most restless. Goals can be empowering. You are taking action!

Decide what you need to do first as you start to fulfill your dreams. Maybe you need to gather more information about that dream, talk to others, write a business plan if it is called for, or figure out ways you can pursue your dream on a part time basis. I have known people who have done the latter. As their dream grew, so did the opportunity to eventually pursue it full time. Working on their dream "on the side" also provided added motivation for their full time job, because that job was enabling them to even consider a dream. In many cases the full time job later became a part time job, until that job gave way to a dream that was ready to be launched!

Your goals should be specific and well-defined, realistic, and exciting to you. You are identifying what you want to do with your life! Make a list of small things you could do to learn more about your dream, as you consider the reality, challenges, and rewards of that dream. A word here--- if God has given you certain desires, He has a plan in mind for your life. Ask that that plan be revealed step-by-step. Remember, it may seem impossible. However, all resources are God?s. When His will and yours coincide, those resources are at your disposal and at the beck and call of the dream. Go forward with the belief that God will provide in accordance with His will and timing. Believe the impossible!

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Economic Growth Continues - More Than 5.3 Million Jobs Created Since August 2003
On June 2, 2006, The Government Released New Jobs Figures – 75,000 Jobs Created In May. The economy has created about 1.9 million jobs over the past 12 months – and more than 5.3 million since August 2003. The unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent – lower than the average of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Revised Report Shows Fastest Real GDP Growth In Two-And-A-Half Years. Real GDP grew at an annual rate of 5.3 percent for the first quarter of this year. This follows our economic growth of 3.5 percent in 2005 – the fastest rate of any major industrialized nation.

Productivity Increased At A Strong Annual Rate Of 3.7 Percent In The First Quarter.

Real Hourly Compensation Rose At A 3.2 Percent Annual Rate In The First Quarter.

Personal Income Increased At An Annual Rate Of 6.7 Percent In April. Since January 2001, real after-tax income has risen by 12.9 percent, or 7.3 percent per person.

Real Consumer Spending Increased At An Annual Rate Of 5.2 Percent In The First Quarter.

Employment Increased In 47 States Over The Past 12 Months Ending In April. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 41 states in April.

Industrial Production Increased 4.7 Percent Over The Past 12 Months. Over the past 12 months, manufacturing production has increased by 5.5 percent.

This Week, President Bush Nominated Henry Paulson As Treasury Secretary. Paulson has an intimate knowledge of financial markets and an ability to explain economic issues in clear terms. For the past eight years, Paulson has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Goldman Sachs Group, one of the most respected firms on Wall Street.

The President Has Expanded Tax Relief And Is Working To Make His Tax Relief Permanent. Two weeks ago, President Bush signed into law a bill that extends the tax cuts on dividends and capital gains. This legislation also contains an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch enabling millions of middle-income families to avoid paying higher taxes in 2006.

The President’s Tax Relief Has Helped Spur Growth By Keeping $880 Billion In The Pockets Of American Taxpayers. The Administration reduced taxes for every American who pays income taxes, doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, created investment incentives for small businesses, and put the death tax on the road to extinction.

Growing The Economy And Reducing The Deficit Depend On Controlling The Spending Appetite Of The Federal Government. Every year since the President took office, the Administration has slowed the growth of discretionary spending that is not related to the military or homeland security. The President's last two budgets cut discretionary spending that was unrelated to the military or homeland security, and we are on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.

If The Emergency Supplemental Bill – Which The President Has Requested To Help Fund The War On Terror And Hurricane Recovery – Includes Non-Emergency Or Wasteful Spending Or Exceeds The President's Set Limit Of $92.2 Billion Plus Funding To Prepare Our Nation For A Pandemic Flu Emergency, He Will Veto It.

In The Long Run, The Biggest Challenge To Our Nation's Budgetary Health Is Entitlement Spending On Programs Such As Social Security And Medicare. We call on members of both parties to join us in a bipartisan commission to address this critical issue.

The President Will Continue Working With Congress To Restrain Spending In Other Ways, Including Passing A Line-Item Veto. A line-item veto would allow us to cut needless spending, reduce the budget deficit, and ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely – or not at all.