Analyze Your Dreams

Now that you have a completed list of dreams we will analyze, organize and quantify them in the next three steps.

I don’t want you to go one step further with the Forget the Joneses Project unless you have completed your dreams list. If you only thought about your dreams, and they exist somewhere in your head (but not on paper), stop immediately. It’s not so much having the dreams but writing them down that is the crucial element in your success. You won’t be able to complete the next few steps without it.

What do Your Dreams Say About You?
In looking at your list, you may notice some common themes. Do you love a certain hobby? Are you philanthropic? Do you want a makeover? Your list may also give you some insight into what is currently lacking in your life. If 50% of your list is comprised places you want to travel, it might be time for a vacation.

What Do You Really Want?
Your dreams can provide some valuable personal insight. With each dream you’ve written down, ask yourself these questions:

• Why do you want it?
• What will it provide for you?
• Is this something that society says is important, or one that you personally value?
• Is it consistent with your values?
• Would you want this if nobody saw or heard about it?
• Do any of your goals contradict each other?

Finding Contentment Today
Let’s analyze the traveling example again. What do you get out of traveling? Is it a break from routine? Is it uninterrupted time with your family? Or, do you like to experience new cultures? Is there any way you can replicate those feelings without leaving your city (or even your home)?

Analyzing why you want these things will help you find contentment in the here and now. If traveling gives you time with your family where you’re unburdened by the demands of daily life, you may be able to replicate that simply by getting a hotel room in a nearby city vs. going on an expensive vacation. If you’re into new cultures and experiences, simply going to more ethnic eateries in your own town can help satisfy those cravings. If it’s your dream to write a book one day, start by keeping a journal. Doing some of the little things today that provide you with what you’re really searching for can help you peacefully pursue your dreams.

In her book Quantum Success, Sandra Anne Taylor defines the Law of Paradoxical Intent:

“The Law of Paradoxical Intent points out the underlying paradox of personal achievement: You can get what you want by knowing that you don’t need it to be happy! It forces you to shift your focus from a desperate intention to a peaceful pursuit. Never send out energy that you’re willing to wait to be happy – just that you’re willing to wait for the goal. Needing a particular achievement before you can live with peace and joy creates a desperate energy that’s absolute poison to the resonance of success, so be clear about your intentions and fearless in your motivations. Pursue your goals because you want them to enhance an already happy life, not because you’ll be miserable without them.”

Assignment: With the insight that you've gathered, think of ways to get what you want out of life today, without spending money or leaving your own town. Write down some of your ideas.

__________________
Check out the Mommysavers Fan Page on Facebook
Frugal Tweets! Follow Mommysavers on Twitter
Preorder the NEW Mommysavers.com Book: Instant Bargains

Love it kim! I'm sorry, but I'm very far behind these days, but am going to catch up this week, I promisssseee!
I don't know if I have 100 dreams, but I know there are a few, some of which are attainable in the near future!
Thank you for this project and really opening people's eyes....thanks for lifting the fog.

__________________
Chopey

I'm behind too, but I see what you mean about some of us may already have some of these steps in place. Some of these steps I've been doing before the FTJ project.

We wrote down a bunch of our goals and dreams, but reading this assignment I see a lot of things that are goals that we didn't think about. For example we wrote down "be rich" ( that was the first thing my husband said) but why do we want to be rich? We want to be able to always be able to "give", and be generous, especially to our nieces and nephews who don't have as much. So I wrote all those down as dreams too.

The baby pulled my tea cup all over my list of dreams this morning. Thank God he didn't burn himself. That said ... do you think it is symbolic that my child wiped out my list of dreams with a cup of tea?

Our whole family did #12 and #13 together and with three children not one asked for toys they really thought of their future! And of course almost every little girl's dream of a horse came up!

These were great exercises, our list wasn't long, about 40 things. And the main theme was to be debt free, improve the quality of time spent together, and to look back on life with minimal regrets.

Last night our answer to #13 came down to: having a family game night, communicating to each other with love and respect, praying together before bed and learn and apply these lessons learned thru FTJ. I believe these few dream steps with help our other dreams come true.

__________________
"God determines who walks into your life…
it’s up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay and who you refuse to let go." - Anonymous

We have our list... DH's list is short though... hmmmm, or do i dream too much!?!
We are ready to analyze...

__________________

I have gotten a little behind with posting(I have been lurking though!)Things have been a bit hectic,end of summer holidays (I live in Australia) kids going back to school.Just had to buy oldest son a laptop for school,an unexpected expense,it had to go on the credit card unfortunately,but will be busting buns to pay that off!!
I have found it difficult to write my dreams,what does that say about me,that I am dull and boring or that I'm living my dreams already!!I suppose in a way I am living one of them,I was born and brought up in UK and only saw the beach once a year on holiday,now I am living (in what will be my dream house once we've finished renovating! bathrooms being done as we speak!!)Well I am proud and humbe to say that I can see the Pacific ocean everyday now,sometimes I have to pinch myself!!
From now on I will try and post some more.
Debbie

Dh and I finally got this done last night. We couldn't come up with 100, but we did see interesting patterns on our list. The most important thing we learned was that our dreams are really not that unrealistic for us.

We made our list of dreams and we came up with 57 of them. Our dreams revolved around our family and a new custom home for us. Our current dream is to fix up our current home and to get out of debt so we can enjoy doing things without worry. We also want to raise well rounded, God centered children. My DH wants to start a business so that might be in the works as well. He has an idea, the backing and the ability to do so we just don't know with the economy right now if it is a good idea. So that dream will wait.

It was hard to dream at first but we managed to do so. It was really fun.

__________________
A Family of 5's quest to forget the Joneses.