Got a Dream? Create Your Own 'I Can Plan'

The Secret Art of "Canning"

Don't panic, this isn't about boiling jars and buying pectin.

This is about focusing on what you can do.

At times in life we come across something that we would like to try, but we're too afraid, the task seems insurmountable, we don't have the right resources available at the moment so we think:

CAN'T do it, have it, be it!

Well, what if that "can't" word is not even part of your vocabulary -- chuck it away, throw it out with the trash, lock it in the trunk, light that sucker on fire.

Now that we've got that cleared away.

What is it you want?

Start a business, go on a massive around the world trip, go back to school, quit your job... you pick -- what would spark massive amounts of joy for you?

Those are some big audacious goals -- yummo!

Let's give your goal some grit -- some staying power.

To make a goal have some "teeth" these can help:

1. Give yourself permission to dream.

2. Visualize what it would be like to achieve this goal -- sound hokey, that's okay, most professional athletes do lots of visualizations about what they want to achieve and what they will do to get their desired outcomes achieved. We don't think their podium finishes are too goofy, we just rarely consider what all goes into making that finish possible.

3. Allow yourself to feel what it would be like to have accomplished this dream -- feeling delicious? I thought so! When you start to lose your mojo -- come back to this.

4. Begin with the end in mind. Stephen Covey knew what he was talking about when he suggested this. What do you need to accomplish this goal? Get serious, write it down and now work your way back ward into manageable pieces that you can work on in smaller, more palatable increments.

5. Get creative -- brainstorm all your options for making this dream come true-there's nothing too out there at this phase, who knows, some uncanny idea might bring you to an opportunity that you hadn't thought of. Allow yourself to stray outside of the box -- this is your chance to color outside the lines!

6. Get support -- when we write out and then share our dream, plans, desires they have a much greater chance of actually happening. Get some people on board that will support you and hold your feet to the fire when you might otherwise give up.

7. Create the "I can plan!" make a mind map, a humungous spread sheet, whatever keeps you moving and map out this big epic dream.

And no matter what, remember the African proverb, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." You can take a wee chunk out of that elephant-esque dream of yours, I know you can!

You've got this one life; time is going to move along at a steady pace regardless of how you live it. You'd be amazed of what you can do.

Join me in squeezing all the juice out of this one great life.

My big dream? That everyone who struggles with challenges, be it in a hospital, a shelter, a program at the local Boys and Girls Club, for a start; anyone that could use some joy injection gets a pair of wildly fun Joy Socks to bring a wee bit a cheer, put a smile on their face and keep moving forward even on the hard days... in 2016 in my city, branching out from there! Love for you to join me! www.joysocks.ca

There's strength in numbers! Love to hear about your dream and your I Can Plan!