13 Practical Ways to Live Out Your Dreams Without Quitting Your Day Job

Maybe you want to star in a Hollywood movie or captain a charter boat on a Caribbean island. Meanwhile, you're spending your weeks sitting in a cubicle or chauffeuring your kids to soccer practice.

There's no need to envy those risk-takers who drop it all to start a sheep farm in Montana or tutor kids in South America. Plenty of adults juggle family and business responsibilities while they write their novel at night or complete their MBA online. Whether you take the fast track or a slower route, you can live out your dreams.

If you're looking for something less drastic than running away to join the circus, consider these ideas for pursuing your passions without giving up your day job.

13 Practical Ways to Live Out Your Dreams Without Quitting Your Day Job

Making the Most of Your Day Job

1. Enjoy financial security. A steady pay check is probably the most obvious advantage to holding off on submitting your resignation. It's easier to think clearly when your material needs are covered.

2. Plan your strategy. Stable employment also give you time to map out your future. Figure out what training and networking you need to get from point A to point B.

3. Maintain structure. Depending on your personality, a wide-open schedule could feel liberating or overwhelming. Your routine may keep you prompt and punctual.

4. Build motivation. The upside of low job satisfaction is that it could drive you to explore other career paths. Think about what you'd rather be doing.

5. Operate part time. On the other hand, you may just want to supplement a job you love. Your passion project could remain a side venture. A hospital administrator or hardware store clerk can build birdhouses on weekends.

6. Scale back. Of course, if your job consumes your time and energy like a black hole, you may need to switch gears. Find balance by moving into a less demanding position.

7. Look for areas of overlap. Whatever you do for a living, you can probably identify your favourite tasks. Leveraging your strengths at work will lay a foundation for your own endeavours.

Additional Tips

1. Schedule downtime. Adding more activities into a busy week can be challenging. Avoid burnout by taking regular breaks and getting adequate sleep.

2. Surround yourself with support. Let your family and friends know what they can do to help you succeed. Give each other encouragement and practical assistance.

3. Trim your budget. Create more flexibility by living simply. Cut back on monthly expenses like cable TV or expensive car payments if you want to free up funds for college tuition or international travel.

4. Research your options. Maybe you've wanted to become a stand-up comedian since you were in the third grade or maybe you're still searching for what you want to do. Talk with others about their experiences and read interesting memoirs. Dive in to a few experiments of your own. Online marketing is definitely one of the best ways to earn money while enjoying time freedom.

5. Set long and short-term goals. Stay focused by establishing clear goals. Immediate targets will give you a game plan for what you need to do each day. Longer-term objectives will help you define what a meaningful life means for you. While you're at it, write out your plans and review them frequently.

6. Hang in there. Commit yourself for the long haul. Give yourself credit for making the effort and enjoy the journey regardless of the results.

You can dream big while you work 9 to 5. Turn your current position into a resource that will help you learn to love what you do and do what you love.
So, there you have it. If you have any other ideas to make the most out of your day job, please comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

Click here to discover how to easily make money online and enjoy time and financial freedom.


Cheers to your passion, freedom and purpose,

Cielo Marie

New Ways To Discover Your Life's Purpose

Life is less satisfying if you can barely drag yourself out of bed to drive to a job you don’t enjoy. Unfortunately, it’s easy to take the well-paying job that doesn’t seem so bad at first. The years pass, and you receive a promotion or two. You buy a house, have kids, and it seems that you’ll be stuck in that job forever.

On the other hand, living your life’s purpose allows your life to be filled with excitement and happiness.

It’s possible to find your life’s purpose and earn a living from it, even if you’re past the age of 30. There’s still time!

Try these techniques to find your life’s purpose:

1. Write it down. This method has been shown to be very effective. Take out a notebook and a pen. Write “my life’s purpose” at the top of the page and start writing whatever pops into your mind.

If you think, “This is a dumb idea,” write it down. Did you think about how mad you are that the Knicks blew it last night? Write that down, too.

There will be a lot of mental garbage until you get to the good stuff. Just keep writing until you’re done.

How will you know you’ve found it? You’ll cry. When a simple idea can make you cry, you’ve stumbled on something meaningful.

2. How would you spend the last year of your life? You probably wouldn’t watch reruns of Gilligan’s Island or sit around and pout. You’d live!

• What would you do? It would be a mix of fun and meaningful activities. What are the meaningful activities that you’d do during your last year alive?

3. What did you dream about doing as a child? Did you want to be a doctor? An animal trainer? Have you ever heard a child state she wanted to sit in a cubicle all day and underwrite insurance? Get in touch with your inner child and think about the things that excited you as a youngster. You might be able to put that information to good use.

 

4. But don’t just go out and randomly volunteer down the street. Look at all the volunteer opportunities in your area and choose the one that appeals to you the most. Contributing to others gives you a mental break from your own problems. Your life’s purpose might reveal itself to you.

5. If you were given the mission of saving the world, how would you do it? What world problem is most meaningful to you? How could you contribute to solving it? Start small, but get started. You might find a lot of meaning in doing something that benefits everyone.

6. Ask yourself. Find a nice, quiet spot, preferably outdoors. Ask yourself, “What is my life’s purpose?” Listen to the answer you receive. Continue asking until you get an answer that resonates with you.

7. What are you good at doing? What are your natural talents? Ask others for their opinion. At the end of the day, you must make your own choices. But ask your friends what they think.

8. What are you willing to do without getting paid? How do you spend your free time? Do you love to restore cars or play the piano? Imagine if you could earn a living from something you’d do for free.

9. If you were locked out of your house on a Saturday from 8AM to 8PM, how would you spend your day? You might be stuck in a routine of hanging around the house all day. What would you do if that weren’t an option? What activities would appeal to you? Maybe you could start doing some of them now.

Get out of the rut your life has become. 

It’s possible to live your live with passion and excited expectation. Do the work required to find your purpose. You’ll be glad you did.

 

If you like this post, you might want to read my blog post on "13 Practical Ways to Live Out Your Dreams Without Quitting Your Day Job."

Cheers to your passion, purpose and freedom,

Cielo Villa

10 Important Life Lessons You Need To Learn Before It's Too Late

Imagine how your life would look like if you had the answers and solutions to all of life's mysteries. Imagine how much different your life would be if you could start over again. You’d probably choose a different career and put your time and energy into different things. 

There are many life lessons you can learn right now before it's too late. I have listed down the 10 Important Life Lessons You Need To Learn Before It's Too Late. 

You could live the remainder of your life feeling passionate, joyous, and fulfilled!

Consider how these lessons might apply to your life:

1. It’s impossible to please everyone. Even if you’re the kindest, smartest, funniest person to ever walk the Earth, someone out there won’t like you. There’s no way to make everyone happy. So, do what you can to please others while making yourself happy. You are meant to please your self more than anything else.

2. No one else cares. Sure, your friends and family care to a point. But everyone else is usually too preoccupied with their own life to worry about your successes and failures.

3. The older you become, the more important your health will be to you. Health is only important to us when it’s failing. After you develop a few aches and pains that never go away, you start to realize that your body will eventually fail you.

Get a head start and begin taking care of yourself today.

4. There are only so many tomorrows. Tomorrow might never come. We put off everything until tomorrow, Monday, or next year. Time is passing by. You don’t know how many more tomorrows you’ll enjoy. Get busy making the most of them.

 5. Apologize quickly. Life is too short for petty disagreements and grudges. Be the bigger person and apologize. To forgive someone who has hurt you is to free your soul from bondage and opens the floodgates of peace, love and joy.

 6. Change is possible.  You have to be the change that you want to be. You can change your weight, income, social life, career, and just about anything else you please. If you are very negative in your disposition, you can change by 

starting with positive self-talk. It takes courage to change your old ways but it can be done, trust me. Your limitations only exist in your mind.

 7. Television will steal your life. Television is a big, sucking, black hole. If the best thing you can find to do with your time is watch television, you might consider working on your life. No one ever improved their existence via the power of TV. It’s a highly effective way to distract yourself, but it solves nothing. Sure there are many forms of distractions like social media, watching soap operas, etc that are part and parcel of life. However, you must have the self-control to limit your time spent doing these activities...valuable time which you could have used on more productive endeavors. 

 8. You’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did. Regrets always, always come back to bite us from behind when it's too late. Most of these regrets come up when we are on the edge of death. When you look back on your foolish choices, you’ll laugh. When you look back on the things you didn’t do, you’ll feel a sting that never goes away. If you’re not risking your life, take your best shot.

9. Money is great for solving certain challenges, but it’s not a cure for everything. Some people say that money solves nothing. Love is all that matters. But love won’t pay the mortgage, feed your family, or repair a flat tire. Money is a necessary part of life, but it doesn’t solve all your problems. Money and love are necessary, just not for the same things.

10. Your level of success will matter less at the end of your life. Up until middle age, we put too much emphasis on our careers. It’s only later in life that we realize there were other things more worthy of our time. Have you ever heard a dying man lament that he didn’t spend more time working? You never will.

Consider these lessons to be the message your older self might tell you today. You can take advantage of the wisdom you haven’t experienced yet. People at the end of their lives repeat these life lessons consistently. You’ll likely feel the same way in the future. Why not live now like the wise person you’ll someday become?

If you enjoyed reading this post, you might want to read my blog post on "Using Positive Positive Self-Talk To Conquer Any Goal"

Cheers to your passion, purpose and freedom,

Cielo Marie

What's Your Take on Challenges?

Today, I'd like for you to read this post as if you are saying these words to yourself. Say the words out loud, really internalize them and at the end of the post, give yourself a few minutes to answer three self-reflection questions. 

This exercise will hopefully provide an opportunity for you to engage with yourself, know yourself better and most importantly, improve your mindset. 

C'mon, give yourself some love :-)

So, What's Your Take on Challenges?

Challenges build drive.

My drive to succeed is more pronounced with   each challenge I overcome. 

Situations that push me to think creatively and act quickly build my confidence.

Each day at work has its own challenges. Working in a stressful environment helps me to improve on how I manage stress. When I make it through the day without breaking, I am better equipped to handle similar days in the future.

Focus on the end goal makes it easier to do what is necessary now.

Personal matters are sometimes poised to upset my peace of mind. But I face them head on. Confronting those issues courageously helps me to maintain a positive mental state. Each day I work towards achieving that balance in my personal life.

When financial challenges threaten the well-being of my family, I find a way out. 

Seeing the difficulty ahead pushes me to find quick solutions.

Providing basic necessities for my kids is my top priority. My love for them keeps me on top of my game and gives me confidence in my ability to provide.

Today, challenges very rarely intimidate me. I accept them with open arms because I know they only make me stronger. Each difficulty I face gives me the drive to overcome any obstacle and be successful.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How well do I use past experiences to help me avoid challenges in the future?
2. In what other ways can I build the drive needed to handle tough times?
3. How do I handle situations when challenges seem a little too tough to handle?

I hope you'll find value in my post. Please feel free to leave your comments and share my post with your friends!

Seize the moment!

Cielo Marie

The 10-Day Negative Thought Fast

Instead of merely getting by, you'll find that your life can truly be exceptional when you focus on positive solutions rather than the constraints of your challenges.

This 10-Day Negative Thought Fast, originated by Emmett Fox, one of the most popular self-help authors and speakers of the early 20^th century, is an adventure you’ll reap many benefits from.

Here are the rules:

If you break any of the other rules, you must start the 10 days over from the beginning. To get the full effect, you must complete 10 consecutive days. Giving up negative thoughts is a little like giving up a drug; you've got to stop using them completely, otherwise you haven't truly quit.

You cannot focus on a negative thought or remain in a negative emotional state for more than five minutes. Ideally, the time should be much shorter. Five minutes should be plenty of time to recognize what's going on and put a stop to it. Remember, even one instance of lingering for more than five minutes means starting over.

You must focus on solutions. When the negative thoughts start, the idea is to immediately start contemplating possible solutions. Spend your time solving your challenges instead of focusing on them.

If you're like most people, you've probably had the same challenges for quite a while without resolution. It's time to try something else instead of dwelling on what's wrong. Open your eyes to newer opportunities...they are all around us.

This sounds deceptively easy, but you may be surprised how difficult it is to give up negativity. We tend to think that worrying helps in some way. But you've probably been worrying about a lot of things for a long time and they haven't improved.

When you're faced with a negative thought (and there will be many!), the best response is to think to yourself, "How can I solve or improve this challenge?" The point is to immediately begin focusing on solutions. When you ask a good question, you’ll receive good answers.

Over the 10 days, you’ll begin to form a habit of immediately recognizing a negative mental state and then focusing on solutions for what you feel negatively about. If you continue the process after the 10 days are completed, you’ll develop a permanent habit that will only require a minimal amount of maintenance.

You might need several attempts to complete the full 10 days. It's common to have numerous slips on day one and then a few others later in the process. Refrain from beating yourself up over it. Remember, you're focusing on solutions.

Taking Your Focus Away From A Negative Thought

One way to help keep the negative thoughts at bay is to ask you positive questions like the following:

• What's great about today?
• What do I like the most about this?
• What am I most proud of?
• What am I most looking forward to?

If you're filling your mind with positive thoughts, there's no room for the negative stuff. And since we can only consciously think about one thing at a time, making the most out of your thoughts makes sense.

Try this 10-day adventure and see if it doesn't change your life. You'll be so amazed at the results that you'll never want to go back to the old way of dwelling on the challenges in your life. So start this process today and change your life for the better.

Read my related blog post entitled: Are you your worst enemy?

Seize the moment!

Cheers to your passion, purpose and freedom,

Cielo Marie

Using Positive Self-Talk to Conquer Any Goal

Are you sabotaging your own success?

Do you feel like you are always talking yourself out of success? As soon as you start to set goals for yourself, do you suddenly have nagging thoughts about how you aren't up to the task or how you simply aren't qualified to carry it through?

If you have ever experienced either situation, you need to change the way you respond to your inner dialogue. Instead of obeying your negative commands, you can use positive self-talk to counter the negativity and overcome nearly all anxious thoughts.

Read my related blog post on how to conquer negativity : The 10-Day Negative Thought  Fast

Setting Goals and Sticking to Them with Positive Self-Talk

Are you initially filled with excitement when you first set goals for yourself? Are these thoughts then followed by self-doubt and self-defeating thoughts that stop you in your tracks before you even get started?

It can be difficult to make the most of your life when you are constantly talking yourself out of being a success. It can be frustrating and discouraging to have these thoughts constantly plaguing you. Many of us, in fact, don't even realize we have them! All we know is that we don't have the confidence to stick to our plans and reach our goals.

But there's another way!

Positive self-talk is an effective way to set goals and ensure that you stick to them, even if you have never been able to do this before.

The way this works is that you decide what goal is important to you, and then you plan the logistics of how you are going to attain this goal. When self-doubt starts kicking in, you will respond with affirmations that prove your success without surrendering to the negative pressure. Since you're reading this article, it's clear that you're no quitter and you're certainly not a failure, so start believing in yourself!

Re-Programming Your Mind

Affirmations are essentially positive statements that re-program your mind for the positive. The moment you have a self-defeating thought you'd be able to counter the negative with a motivating statement. An example of a positive affirmation is: "I am worthy of great success," or "I see myself in the winner's circle." 

What this does is replace negativity with thoughts that will help you move toward your goals instead of further away from them.

Positive self-talk is easier to implement than you might think. You may not be aware of the severity of the negative dialogue currently within your mind. 

However, once you begin with positive self-talk, you will suddenly realize that you are self-sabotaging the goals you set for yourself from the minute that you make them. This process can open your eyes to exactly how much this inner conversation has been interfering with your life.

You'll feel hopeful that you can now set goals and surpass them.

Through positive self-talk you will be able easily set long and short-term goals for yourself. And when you use affirmations, you'll have accessible tools to help you push yourself further than ever before. Learning to quiet negativity with

positive thoughts is a great move toward setting and attaining future goals with ease.

I hope you found this blog post helpful. I appreciate your comments and feel free to spread the love by sharing this post:)

Cheers to your passion, purpose and freedom,

Cielo Marie

How Badly Do You Want Success?

For many of us, we think that success is elusive, limited to only a few lucky people. We define success in terms of how much money we have in the bank, how healthy we are, how happy we are in our current state or how close we are at achieving our goals. 

Some people define success simply like being able to fly on an airplane, eating home made chocolate cake or being with a loved one. All these definitions are right because what you say is your reality, applies to your life values and based on your belief systems. No one can question you on how to define your own success.

However, not everyone seems to reach the height of success. There is no magic formula to realizing one's dreams in life, but one thing that stands out among successful people is their attitude of perseverance. 

The most successful people in the world suffered numerous failures and setbacks, sometimes lasting for years and depleting their resources, yet they persevered. They never gave up on their dreams because right from the start, they believed in themselves and their abilities. Not giving up, never waning in their desire to have a better life, notlistening to naysayers and negative people, are core attitudes of a successful person.

Recently, I watched the highly-acclaimed movie entitled "JOY." It is based on a true to life story of a working mother who faced bankruptcy, ridicule  from family and all forms of setbacks that one could ever think of in her quest for success. However, these roadblocks didn't dampen her spirit, instead she fought back with all her blood, sweat and tears. She persisted and persevered amidst all the challenges hurled against her as she fought for her dreams. And she succeeded...big time! She is now a very successful businesswoman in her industry ... truly the epitome of perseverance.

Lay one brick at a time and before you know it, you've created a great brick wall capable of withstanding any extreme conditions. Don't stop nor linger for a second, soldier on and persevere in the face of mockery or judgement. Never mind the people who laugh at you for dreaming big dreams. In the end, you'll have the last laugh.

So, in answer to the question, "How badly do you want success?" Be honest with yourself. If you really want something, then by golly, GO FOR IT! Don't stop asking, don't stop knocking, never waver in your belief. I believe that perseverance is key to making things happen. It is essential to a life of success. 

Luck is an illusion. It takes courage, discipline, consistency, as well as perseverance to accomplish life's greatest joys.

Seize the moment!

Cheers to your passion, purpose and freedom,

Cielo Marie