I don’t know about you but when this whole Coronavirus debacle showed signs of upending our lives for months to come; I started to think about all off the goals and dreams that might not happen because of it. I kept hearing the phrase “when Covid is over” the thing is, this whole thing is going to take at least a year from the release of this show to wrap up. So, I began thinking about the following question “How do we nurture our dreams during chaotic times?” So, I thought I would ask a few of my friends to share what they’re doing to nurture dreams such as: finding love, travel, growing their businesses and more. I hope my friends Tonya Stumphauzer from Budget and the Beach, Crystal Hammond from Sew So Fab, and Jessica Garbarino from Every Single Dollar will get you thinking about your dreams too. At the end of the show I’ll share what I’m doing to keep my dreams alive. My hope is that this show will reenergize you and get your thinking about what you can do to move towards the life you dream of.
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Listen to the Show
Show Notes
- Jessica Garbarino from Every Single Dollar shares her thoughts on how she’s keeping her dreams alive during chaotic times.
- Key takeaway: Update your LinkedIn profile!
- Embrace patience
- Tonya Stumphauzer from Budget and the Beach shares her thoughts on how she’s keeping her dreams alive.
- Key takeaway: Take care of yourself. Self-care is key.
- Opportunities still exist right now. Seek them out.
- Crystal Hammond from Sew So Fab shares her thoughts on how she’s keeping her dreams alive.
- Key takeway: Now is a great time for self-reflection and introspection
- Keep a routine
- My thoughts on focusing on what I’m doing to stay focused on nurturing my dreams during chaotic times.
- What you might not realize from the guests on this show is that they have several things in common.
- They are single
- They’re women
- GenXers
- Two of us are completely self-employed/entrepreneurs
- Two of the guests have a hybrid situation=employed and pursuing a side-hustle.
- What you might not realize from the guests on this show is that they have several things in common.
- I can only speak for myself when I say that when it became clear that we’re in this for the long haul I though to myself shit! What about my dreams for finishing up paying off my remaining unsecured debt, traveling abroad, and finding love? They all felt on hold. Especially in the beginning when we were first hunkered down at home.
- But, I began noticing a few things. I was getting hit on more than I have in years.
- Organic conversations were still happening like before and I was meeting more of my neighbors.
- I was still making money online and in fact was busier than ever because businesses had reached out to me for projects and I was selling my own products.
- I was reminded of the following:
- Life moves on whether or not we’re in quarantine. And, as long as I’m waking up each day, that’s a win.
- It’s important that we remember that nothing is certain beyond uncertainty.
- My dreams haven’t changed, but the process for how I reach those goals might need to be reworked.
- My dreams still matter, especially now. Those dreams fuel hope. So, I want to leave you with the following thoughts:
- It’s not selfish to continue pursuing your dreams, it’s necessary at times like this.
- Give yourself grace during these crazy times.
- Manage your expectations-I’m going to keep it real and say that I’m moving a lot more slowly than before. My sleep schedule is off and some days I’m super focused other days I’m day drinking and eating ice cream.
- It’s ok to admit that you have some regrets that you’re facing right now. You don’t have to beat yourself up about those regrets, you just need acknowledge them and move on. And, yes, I have several regrets that I’ll share.
- I believe that people shouldn’t be too cautious or too reckless. There’s a nice in-between. In recent years I’ve become too cautious.
- Risks open you up to grow.
- It just takes one failure or success to make a difference. The key is not to freak out when you’re dealing with a failure.
- Some action steps moving forward:
- Want to fall in love? Set the intention and sign up for online dating, join communities of interest, get yourself metaphorically out there so that growing your network.
- Looking forward to your next big trip? Spend some time focusing on the location that you’re going to, work on the budget, look at ticket prices, read up on the place, read travel blogs or listen to podcasts about the location. Become obsessed with your trip. That’s what I did when I decided to study in Paris. I was obsessed.
- Want to get fit? Set a fitness focused goal that is easy for you to focus on.
- Jessica decided to walk 12,000 steps a day. She used a Fitbit to track those steps. And, she lost 10 pounds. There’s no guarantee that you’ll lose weight, but simple goals create ongoing habits. I’m thinking very seriously about what my fitness goal will be.
- Would you like to learn a new language? Watch a video in a different language once a day or set 10 minutes a day towards that goal. Youtube has some great channels for learning other languages.
- Need to earn more money? Start hustling online and sell what you already know. Or, start applying for jobs that pay more.
- Are you trying to pay off some debt? Start looking for ways to make more money right now. Set aside time each day to focus on your goal.
- Basically, focus on taking easy to manage action steps that won’t overwhelm you at this time.
Your dreams matter and I hope this episode reaffirms that notion.
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Love it. Such great advice from wonderful women. Personally, while it completely changed my life and plans (as it has for everyone), I am excited by the new direction and the time I have now to focus on things I was putting off until later. I was travelling the world and have a home in Vanuatu where we were going to live but it was better for this time to come back to Aus. So I figured, while here, we will build the life we wanted still as well as doing some studies I have always wanted. There are so many opportunities around if we look for them. For my studies, they are free right now so I’m making the most of it.
At the end of the day, we can’t fight the “flow.” I’m now really thinking about my new direction, what I want to attract into my life and how I want things to be moving forward. I’m having some really intense internal conversations right now.
Nice post,
Michelle, I enjoy reading your posts. I’m actually in Rwanda at the moment. I flew here from Malaysia back in February. And you are right the WFH lifestyle is def. a change.
I just started getting back to jogging in the mornings. I met an amazing woman here in Rwanda and we are exercising together. She was doing the online dating thing.. and I told her to put that on ice. I did online dating when I was in middle school. Michelle, I believe going out and meeting people is necessary. I say that because the physical up-close-and-personal interaction allows us to really check who this person is. I mean we date to potentially find a long-term relationship right? : )
Whenever you are in Africa hit me up : ) hahaha
LMAO! Thank you for reading my posts. I do agree about meeting people in person and hate online dating in general. But, it’s a useful tool. Enjoy your time in Rwanda!