Inspiration for a joyful and creative life

This article is a continuation in the series of 10 Reasons Not To Have What You Want.

The idea that No one has ever done it before might be a good thing.

It may be that you have such an original idea that no one else has ever thought of it before.  Great!  You may get to be the first.

It may also be that you just don’t know if someone else has tried what you want to do and didn’t follow through.

The biggest reason that this could be stopping you might be more that you don’t know what to do or how to do it since you can’t find any role models before you.

In that case, you get to make it up as you go along.  Who is to say there is a right way or a wrong way?

You may want to try brainstorming some different possibilities and approaches for your dream.

If you can, get at least one person, and even better yet a group, to help you explore possibilities.

Once you have narrowed down your ideas and choose the one that sounds the best to you, begin breaking things down and determining what your very next action could be.

You may need to do research or look at some other industries or areas to get information.

Be sure to keep a notebook or journal of things as they occur to you.  Start thinking about people that you may want to ask for help or that could direct you to some answers.

It may seem like a daunting task to be the trail blazer in an area but if you see it as an exciting adventure and you are willing to experiment, you’ll figure out a way.

Actually, those are good qualities to have regardless of your situation.  Allowing your curiosity to take hold and being open to what lies ahead will be more exciting than to look at it as a scary unknown.

Maybe you’ll go down in the history books as being the first one to figure it out!

Continuing in my series of Ten Reasons Not To Have What You Want, reason #2 is “I can’t afford it.”

As we look at each of the reasons you may have put in your way about why you can’t have the life you want, let’s see if we can change your perspective.

Because the way you think will have a definite impact on getting what you want.  As the old saying goes, if you think you can’t, you’re right.

How much would you need to get what you want?

Let’s say, for example, one of your goals is to use your talents to start a business but you feel like you can’t quit your day job.

Well, who says you have to quit your job?  Many people who start a business do it on the side until they have built up enough momentum to take the leap.

It also doesn’t have to be an all or nothing situation.  What are some other ways you could make some small steps toward doing what you want?  Could you take one small action a day?

See Reason #1 It Will Be Too Hard to spark some other ideas.

Maybe you can figure out a way to reduce your hours at work, but still get as much done.  Can you work from home part of the time?  Can you offer another service for additional income?  Can you get a raise?

There are always possibilities that open up when you look at your situation with fresh eyes.

For instance, you may have a situation where you need a specific amount of money to achieve your goal.  Maybe you have a trip or something in mind that you want.

There are a few avenues to take to get more money.

Earn it.

Earning the money you need offers lots of options and I’m just touching on the concept here.

You can do something full time, part time, seasonal, have an internet business, do something on the side, etc.  Check out my post on Blogging to Earn Money as one interesting possibility!

You can do something temporarily to earn extra money or add it permanently to your repertoire. Do you have a product or service you can offer?

Can you make more from what you are already doing?

Sell Something.

Do you have stuff laying around that could bring in extra money?  Maybe gold jewelry you no longer wear, clothes or furniture in great condition to take to a resale shop, a used car, treasures in the attic?

Speaking of selling gold jewelry, I was just at a party at my friends house where you bring your unwanted gold jewelry. Since I usually only wear the jewelry I make now, I’ve already given away a lot of my old jewelry.

I had a few tangled up thin gold chains that didn’t weigh much and I wasn’t going to bother bringing them. I did anyway, and happily walked out with an extra $100. Lots of people walked out with substantially more.

I realize something like that won’t change your lifestyle but once again, thinking small may add up to bigger results. You may have a lot more money “laying around” than you think.

Save It.

Where might there be some hidden opportunities for your to save money in your current situation?  It’s easy to have habits you aren’t even aware of where you may be spending more than you need to or to make some small changes that can really add up.

Or depending on your situation, you could even make some big changes with big results like moving into a less expensive home or trading your gas guzzling car for a fuel efficient one.

Consider this.  If you earn $100 and pay $25 in taxes, you end up with $75.

When you save money, you are able to put the whole amount “in your pocket”.

Coming soon is a book my sister and I have written on Creative Money Saving Ideas where we give all kinds of strategies to save money without sacrificing or feeling deprived.  I can’t wait to share it with you!

What if you combined all three strategies above and found a combination of things you could do to get the money you want or need?

What are some ways you can think of that will eliminate your reason of I can’t afford it?

Is it good to have lots of choices about what you want in your life? Some people love the idea of having unlimited choices.  For others, it feels too overwhelming and sends them running.

I know we are bombarded by making decisions and choices constantly.

I’ve stood in front of the canned tomatoes in the grocery store for longer than I care to admit, reading labels, comparing prices, and trying to make a final decision.  Sometimes I wish someone would just hand me the silly can of tomatoes and choose for me.

So, you may be surprised that when it comes to what you really want to do, or how you want to do something, I suggest you expand your choices.

The reason is simple.  For something as significant as how you spend your time, it’s worth looking at several choices.

Taking a little time to brainstorm can open your world to greater possibilities and creating options you never knew existed.

Writing things down can help you to get clear about your values, priorities, and what’s important to you.

One good way to reach a deeper level is to continue to ask yourself a question over and over and then ask why.  You may ask yourself, “What am I passionate about?”  Then ask why.  Do this several times and see if you get on a deeper level of why something is important to you.

What if you can’t answer the question about what you are passionate about?

Maybe passionate feels like too strong of a word for you.  Well, this is where your quest involves more exploration.

What brings you joy?  What would you like to know more about?

What sounds like fun to you? What are your natural gifts?

What are you grateful for?

Are you a good gardener, cook, painter, storyteller, magician, or math whiz?

This part is like the smorgasbord of your life.  At this point, there is a wide array of choices before you.  Then it’s time for you to figure out what you are hungry for now, at this stage in your life.