This Girl is on Fire! How to Stoke That Fire in Your Belly to Achieve All Your Dreams

By Jackie White

This is the month where many of us are jazzed up about a new year and new possibilities! Our heads might be swimming with all the dreams we look to achieve this year, but it almost always fizzles out a week or two into January. So, how do we prevent this from happening? We need a new way! Let’s get excited because you can do this!

Girl, you are on fire! Make this your mantra as you go after your dreams this year! The key to achieving your dreams is feeling your dream’s importance before you even begin to take action! I am talking about that fire in your belly that has been smoldering for awhile. You have to stoke those fires!

Let’s talk about what not to do first. There are many goal-getting systems out there and that can get confusing. There is no need to develop the world’s most intricate plan to achieve your dreams. People tend to over-plan and the execution of the plan then becomes overwhelming and the reason why you quit. Spending inordinate amounts of time on planning to go after goals really is knocking you off track before you even start. Let’s do this differently this year and really make our dreams come true! 

Begin with Meaning
The starting line of any dream requires you to feel this dream’s importance to you. Get ready to strike the match! When you choose a dream to go after there should be a strong meaning of that dream in your heart. Choose a dream that you feel compelled to achieve. Choose a dream that is like a burning desire. If your dream is someone else’s dream it will feel like a shoe that doesn’t fit. For example, you feel that you are expected to become a dentist just like your father was, but you do not feel strongly about that dream, then that is not your dream and you will feel unfulfilled. Instead, the very thought of your dream should stir a fire in your belly! You should feel excited and maybe a little scared, but you know that this is what you want to do! When you have that type of meaning behind your dream, the dream becomes compelling and you will tend to see it through.

Dream with Passion
When you think of your dream, don’t just think of the end result, think about how you will feel working towards achieving that dream. Visualize yourself going after and achieving your dream. What feelings does that stir up? Get excited! Feel unstoppable! Whoa! Get back, those flames are burning high! Visualizing your dream will keep it alive for you. The very thought of achieving that dream might feel scary, but also enticing and exciting! This is when you know you have hit upon a meaningful direction to take your life. Girl, this is when you feel on fire!

Plan the Attack
Once you feel how important your dream is, you can move on to the planning stage. Again, don’t get bogged down into minute detail. Quite simply, every dream needs a plan and a timeline. To begin choose the top 3 action steps you need to take to move this dream forward. 

For each of those steps utilize the following SMART goal framework:

Specific  - Identify the specific actions needed to achieve that step
Measurable success - don’t skip this part. You must keep track of your progress.
Achievable - the step should be a stretch that pushes you to choose the habits needed for success. 
Realistic: The steps must be something that you can realistically do within the framework of your life.
Time-Bound: For every step give yourself a timeline to work towards

Check-In
This is the part where people start jumping ship. They don’t put a system into place to check in on their own progress and before they know it, it’s several months down the line and they have forgotten the importance of their dream. It is imperative to check in on your progress because it will keep you on track and honest about the actions you are taking towards your dream. Along with this check-in on your plan, it is important to go back to that compelling vision and feel its call to you. This is also where you get to celebrate your wins! Make sure you do that because this stokes that fire!

One Foot in Front of the Other
Take action! Keep moving forward towards your dream. We lose a lot of people here too because they don’t make their dream a priority. Choose to make time each day to step one step closer to achieving your dreams. Revisit the feeling of why this dream is so important. When you do feel that dream stir again it’s like putting gasoline on that fire! Light it up and keep it burning!

The dreams fueled by emotional ties to your heart coupled with a SMART plan are the ones that you will be able to sustain the best. This year place your intention on stoking that fire in your soul and when you do you will feel the power to achieve all of your dreams! And don’t forget your mantra: “This Girl is on Fire!”

Shine On!