Pursue the Life You Really Want

This is a guest post by Kim Anderson of Thrifty Little Mom

That night will be forever etched in my memory. Like most nights I was standing in the shower, letting the water wash over my head and sobbing. I knew that I had an arsenal of gifts and talents endowed on me the moment my life began but had no way to express them. I was stuck what seemed like a daily, unending loop of waking up, feeding baby all day, keeping baby safe all day, cooking dinner, tucking baby in and then vegging out Netflix.

There was a stirring in my heart but I just didn’t know what to do with it! That night I whispered a simple prayer, “God, I don’t want to wake up 18 years from now not knowing who I am. Please help me know what I’m supposed to do.”

That sinking feeling still weighed on me as I brushed my teeth, put on my jammies and climbed into bed. But then, somewhere in that brief moment between awake and sleep a thought popped into my head, “Start a blog.”

When I woke up the next morning, I had a fuzzy recollection of this thought. Unsure if it was just me or God’s gentle whisper, I decided to decide. I made up my mind to pursue the path diligently and see what happened.

From the moment, I published my first blog post, I knew that I had found my calling! I had found the thing that fulfilled my need to write, create and fueled my entrepreneurial spirit while still allowing me to be a stay at home mom. That one decision has led me to a life I could have never imagined just four years ago.

I’m sure if you are reading this that there are days that you too feel a little lost. Maybe you’ve had a few good ugly cries in the shower. Maybe you know that you want more out of the one life you have to live but you aren’t exactly sure how to pursue it, where to start or even what it looks like!

Today I’d like to help you start your own path to discovering and passionately living the life you long for no matter your age or stage of life.

1. Allow Yourself to Dream

Have you ever stopped in the constant “go-go-go” of life to really dream? What things do you really want to do, be or experience in the time you have on earth? Now’s the time to identify those aspirations, get them out of your heart and put them onto paper.

Get out a journal or sheet of paper and let your heart run wild on the page.

Write down:

• Your strengths.
• Write down your gifts.
• Write down your passions.
• Write down the things that you get lost in for hours when you work on it or do it.
• Write down anything you think you’d love to try.
• Write down anywhere would you like to go.
• What would you like to see?
• What would you love to own?
• What would you like to experience?

As you make this list, don’t let fear hold you back.

2. Decide to Decide

One thing my mentor, Ruth Soukup has taught me is in life is that you have to decide to decide. Once you have put your dreams on paper the next steps are to:

• Decide that those things you want to do are worth fighting for.
• Decide that no matter what, you will find a way to make some or all of the things you wrote down, happen.
• Push out the doubt and take one step in the direction of your dreams.

The first step in creating the momentum you’ll need to accomplish your dreams is making a map that guides you where you want to be. Without a solid plan you’ll most likely stay stuck in paralysis of analysis never really moving forward for fear of making the wrong choice.

3. Mapping out a solid plan

In 2010 my husband and I decided that the next big step toward the life we longed for was to pay off our $93,000 in debt. We sat down, looked at our money, figured how much we could spare to pay down the debt and made a plan to pay it off in 4 years.

Because we had mapped out the plan, I knew that there were things I could do to speed up the journey if I put my mind to it! So I did. I saved where I knew I could save, I made extra money anywhere I could and I threw everything I had at that goal. That debt was paid off in just under 2 years.

In my brand new book, Live, Save, Spend, Repeat: The Life You Want with the Money You Have, I teach you how to not only dream big, I help you make strategic plans for the next 1, 3, 5 and 10 years of your awesome life.

But, let’s get real for a second. Even if we dream really big, some of those dreams are going to require resources to make a reality. If that resource is money, this book helps you understand a step-by-step way to make a plan to fund your dreams with the money you have right where you are!

If you need help in the area, I’m here for you! You can order your copy right now on Amazon and start on your journey with a solid plan beneath your feet and hopefully, if I’ve done a good job, the confidence you need to start and finish.

4. Expect the Speed-bumps

Once you have dreamed, decided and created your plan be ready to face some speed-bumps on your journey toward the life you long for.

Fear, doubt and people’s opinions are going to try their best to stop you. But if you will put your head down, put your blinders on and keep going forward you will find yourself experiencing far more in this life than you ever imagined.

There were many times that I just wanted to give up on my journey toward the life I wanted.

Times when paying off $93,000 in debt in two years on one income seemed impossible.

Times when my weaknesses felt like they would keep me stuck forever. But, I found ways to overcome them and kept going.

Times when other people just didn’t understand my quest and made me doubt my purpose. But, I put my blinders on and kept making the next best step forward.

Friend, I’m writing this today because I want more than anything for you to wake up from the haze of everyday survival and decide to truly live out the dreams that you’ve hidden away in your heart.

You need to know that your gifts, talents and desires aren’t planted in your heart by accident. You have purpose. But, to put those skills to work, you will have to decide to take the first step toward the life you were designed to live out. No one will do it for you. No one will start it for you. No one will own it like you will.

Throw off your fear and self-doubt. Don’t wait. Sit down today and decide what dreams are worth pursuing in this one glorious life you have. No one is standing in your way but you. It’s time to start. Today is the perfect time. Live your one life without regrets.

Kim Anderson, author of Live, Save, Spend, Repeat is a thrifty lifestyle blogger and online content coach. She lives in North Carolina with her Youtuber husband Cressel, a rambunctious 6 year old boy and twin one year old girls.