Your financial upbringing (part 3): What are your dreams?

Julie Murphy • September 21, 2011

The first two weeks of September, we devoted our time figuring out what experiences from your childhood shaped your current relationship with money. You’ve been confronting your fears so you can move past them and find success.

Well this week, I want you start thinking about the life of your dreams. But we need to do this in a few steps. The month of September is devoted to going back to our childhoods in order to fix our present. And now I want you to do the same thing with your dreams.

Take a moment and think about this: what did you dream about doing as a child? A teen? In college?

I want you to think about what your dreams were in the past for a reason. In life, we get so caught up in the moment we’re in right now that the things we truly desire long-term get pushed aside to just make it through this moment. But what about those big goals? We often ignore them in favor of the “right now.” But “right now” doesn’t necessarily means happiness and fulfillment in the long-term.

What are your dreams?

Our dreams evolve as we do, and our goals are affected by our daily struggles. So when people ask you what you dream about at any given moment, it can vary from “starting my own business” to “getting through this week without over drafting my checking account.”

That’s why I want you to go back to what you dreamt about as a youngster. Of course, we all wanted to be something unattainable (a doctor during the day, a firefighter at night and a movie star on the weekend). But we also had things that we just enjoyed doing as a child; things that came naturally to us and that we eventually realized could be a really fun career.

So, what was that? Get out a piece of paper, a journal or open up Word on your computer. Write down everything you dreamt about doing career- and/or life-wise throughout your childhood, teenage years and early adulthood. The goal here is to get back in touch with what was originally in your heart space before life got a hold of it.

Reconnecting with the dreams of your youth can help you get back on track with your dreams of right now. Spend time this week getting in touch with that childlike enthusiasm about impossible goals. Next week, we’ll tie all of this together so you can live your ideal life right now.

Sign up for my weekly words of wisdom (in the top right-hand corner of your screen) for encouraging thoughts each Tuesday. And be sure to check out my book,  The Emotion Behind Money , for guidance and healing. You can take control of your finances, and I can help you.

Tags: living your dreams, following your dreams, living your dream
life, your ideal life, chicago personal finance, emotion behind money, Julie
Murphy Casserly, chicago finance expert

 

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