I have a friend who works with a man who thinks it is funny to act like he overheard a conversation the boss was having in which reveals that someone in the office getting fired. This coworker then proceeds to tell that person, in a very serious manner, they are getting canned after lunch. Yeah, fun guy. Apparently, he isn’t a bad guy, he just has an inappropriate sense of humor. Anyway, my friend was his target this morning. She just ignored him.
As she related her experience to me at lunch I got to thinking, the thought of not going to my 9 to 5 every day got me kind of excited! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate my job, but even the best jobs become very routine after a while. So, I allowed myself to dream about what I would do tomorrow morning if I lost my job today.
The exercise was exhilarating. I remembered all the things I wanted to do and be when I was younger. I remembered several dreams and desires I had long since stuffed down into a little compartment labeled “Some day.” The best part of the exercise was when I realized that the ideas I came up with would not only be good alternatives to replace my main job but would be equally workable as a side job, a hobby, or even just to make some extra pin money.
Remembering these desires and dreams are important not only because no one is indispensable, and you never really know when you actually could lose your job, but also because if embracing a life filled with pursuits you love brings you the most money – you need to know what those pursuits are!
Saving for the sake of saving is an empty process. Save for your dreams – to build the rich life you desire – not merely tolerate. Your desires are as individual as you are – and the pursuit of those desires should be reflected by how you disburse your finances.
Not everyone wants to be their own boss, but I do. So I have made this a priority in how I spend and commit my finances. Allow yourself to dream. Design your ideal situation. What would the ideal day for YOU look like?
Most of the time a journal or a planner helped me with this, especially those journals that are designed for planning and mind mapping. There are plenty out there in the market, you just need to find one that you think you can work around and actually gives you the desire to pick up a pen and start writing things down.
Decide today what your dreams are and don’t wait until a job loss forces you in that direction. Decide today that you will spend and save in the direction of your dreams. Incorporate them into your life and slowly begin to move towards them. Soon you could find yourself living a life designed by your desires – a life you have until now only dreamed about!