I recently read this passage about dreams written by Sam Grawe, Editor-in-Chief of Dwell Magazine. Here it is:

“I think it says it all about the importance of dreams and realizing them: “Many of us stockpile dreams for years, cataloging and filing them away for later. Some of our heads are so full of them that it is hard to believe there is enough room for them all.

If space does become a concern, one of the best places to store a dream is in reality. Once your dream has been realized, it is technically no longer your dream, but it may serve as inspiration for other peoples’ dreams, in which case, it is still something of a dream.

There is something of a dream in almost everything around us.”

Did reading this spark a fire within you like it did for me? I ask you: What dream are you putting on the back burner that you take a small, easy and doable action on TODAY?

If you dream to build your business online, take that first step and create or upgrade your free and valuable give-away report and share it with your contacts.

If you dream to meet your “soul-partner”, get out there and circulate. Attend an event this weekend.

If you dream to make a difference, get into action and support a cause that is dear to you.

If you dream to dance, set up your first dance lesson.

If you dream to paint. Go buy paints and a palette.

We truly are all in this together. By being true to your own dreams, you become a source of inspiration for others to live their dreams.

Dream big. Take a baby step. Start now.

As this year comes to completion, it is the perfect time to take “stock” of what worked well for you this year AND what didn’t.

Just the other day, one of my newer clients, whom I will call Julie as to protect her identity, shared with me that her life and business are running at peak capacity. From the outside looking in, her life looks very,very good. The catch? She feels like something is missing. She create a big and busy life, but truth be told, she said,”it feels like my life is running me”.

After listening deeply, together we identified all the various projects, commitments, and demands she was currently facing. After getting everything on the table, it became pretty obvious. She had created her own “monster” and it was time to pare down to the absolute essentials. She began to see why she was exhausted and unfulfilled.

In what I like to call the “Aha moment”, she said to me in a hushed tone, “Is this where I was really going?”

“I don’t think so!”

It’s easy to get caught up in the “Millionaire Mindset Bootcamp” bandwagon and follow a model that promises you rock star status in your industry, full of glitter and gold. If this is what you truly want and it gives you great joy to achieve it ,then it is clear. Go for it!

Alot of business owners I’ve met share that they feel like they’re on a treadmill of working,working and working. To what end? Often money goals are created out of group-think. Hey isn’t this what everyone wants and is working for? These goals are usually driven to have more..such as ” I want to break 7 figures in my business. The illusion is that when they make their million dollars, then life will be sweeter and they’ll be happy,finally! So the money goal is set and they put their heads down and work like a dog to try to make that happen. Often they succeed,but at what cost?

With Julie, she was able to get the clarity about what was truly a priority for her and what was no longer truly profitable and/or energizing for her. She had the true clarity about what the important values where for her and this clarity allowed her to redesign her life and business in ways that were much more in alignment for her.

Her question transformed from, “Is this where I was really going?” to clarity. She declared”Now I know what I want & where I am going AND I’m committed to enjoy ALL my life.

What a powerful place to be in. To know what you truly value and desire for your business and your life IS THE WAY to having it all!

Here are a few powerful questions that can help keep you on YOUR path ( not someone else’s)

1.What do I really want? ( Be specific about what you really,really want.)

2.What activities/projects give you joy & fulfillment? ( integrate more of these into your life)

3.What activities/projects/clients take you OUT of your joy? ( let go of old committments that no longer fit or might even be toxic to your happiness)

The bottom line is that it can be easy to get pulled into over-committing, over-doing and over-achieving. The good news,though, is that you DO have choice and these simple questions can help to align your business and life plans so that they are an absolute 100% match to your unique-ness!

The Zen of Social Media by Shama Kabani – Shama helps to clarify and help you to handle the “beast” of social media. She gives some really great step by step instruction and strategy as well as highlighting some case studies. Highly recommended.

Flip the Funnel- Joseph Jaffe-This book is not a book about how to aggressively go out & “get more customers” rather the “flip of the funnel” concept that Joseph teaches is to pay more attention to the customers you already have. His key points? Provide beyond excellent customer service and nurture the relationship with them. He addresses the web 2.0 and provides strategies to fully utilize it to serve the customer.

ProBlogger- by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett- A super, primer for all bloggers. Lear what you need to know about everything blog related from technology to content to building your own community.

The Matrix Energetics Experience- Richard Bartlett- I am a huge fan of Sounds True, Tami Simon’s company which provides audio programs from the best of the best in personal and spiritual development. I purchased this program from them. This progam by Dr Bartlett is really fantastic. I have attended Dr Bartlett’s live training, and while I enjoyed his teachings I actually like this recorded program better! It’s packaged beautifully and has a set of 6 audio trainings, 1 DVD training, cards and a manual. It’s really interesting and mind expanding . It’s way out of the box!

Ann Boleyn and The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory- My daughter recommended this book to me and I was completely drawn into the time of England’s KIng Henry the 8th. Around the same time, we discovered the excellent Showtime series, The Tudors. It’s fabulous. Rich with content, visually beautiful, excellent casting of the characters. Just plain great!

On This Journey, We Call Our Life: Living the Questions by James Hollis- I’ve been processing my dreams for almost 2 years now with a Jungian dream analyst. It’s been a most fascinating process. This book is written by a jungian dream expert and the questions he poses and the wisdom he shares is deep and will stir your own transformation.

Women Run with the Wolves by Clarissa P Estes- Also from the genre of jungian influence. Dr Estes is a remarkable story teller. Using her incredible stories to help the reader to connect and identify with that which is hidden in our unconscious. You’ll find yourself relating to the characters and the escapades they have with what you are creating or wanting to stop creating(!) in your own life.

I learned of this workshop through one of my coaching communities and felt excited and ready to expand my own concepts of what is possible. The weekend was a bit like Woodstock! ( but without the drugs), with lots of mind blowing quantum physics theory mixed in with some very interesting on stage interractions with Dr Barlett and participants from the crowd. I came home feeling even more inspired and enthused about the tremendous potential that each of us has within us.

I am fascinated with quantum physics and enjoy teaching these concepts ( in my own unique approach) to my clients as a way to create a foundation of understanding for the now mainstream idea,called ” the Law of Attraction” This ancient concept was repackaged in a movie called ,The Secret which Oprah, featured (not just once, but twice).The Law of Attraction works for everything, business goals, money goals, finding Mr. Right ( or Ms. Right)

The secret to getting more of the results you want is to practice “seeing, feeling and being” your Vision. Do it every day and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you start seeing results. It’s really amazing and pretty darn simple once you get the hang of it!

The single most important concept I love to teach and am becoming more of a master of in my own life, is becoming an “intentional human.” What I mean by this is to become so single-minded in your focus that you literally “see it, feel it, and experience it” even if it isn’t here yet! In my study of Positive Psychology research , I came upon a perfect study that illustrates the “Act as If” principle to a “T”. In a controlled study, a group of older gentleman were asked to “go back in time” in their minds and act as if they were living in the 1950′s. Long story short, these men truly began to believe so much in their new “version ” of life so much so that they actually began to feel,act and look younger. Physical testing revealed positive trends and reversing of old complaints! Wow.

If these fellows can reverse time by believing it, then we can too!… “I act as if, until I am” is my newest mantra. I challenge all of us to become “intentional humans” and consciously decide what it is that we really want for ourselves, for our work, and for our families and communities. It really does begin with us! So,tell me, what are you intending for your life and your business?

Diana Long, The Results Coach, is the founder of The Life Design Institute, LLC. — a compay which provides coaching, consulting, and programs for busy professionals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs. Co-creator of the Business Breakthrough Series, Diana’s innovation and exceptional insight are highly sought after. For more information: www.DianaLong.com.