I’ve always known the type of lifestyle I wanted for myself. I had an idea of who I would be, where I would be and when I would arrive there. I didn’t necessarily have a set idea of what I wanted to do career wise, but I knew I needed whatever it was to support the lifestyle I planned on living, along with any of the goals I set to have outside of my 9-5. Thinking about things now, the lifestyle I’ve envisioned has honestly come to fruition. They say that what you focus on will manifest and I truly believe in this conscious behavior. Although I’ve experienced some very minor set backs along the way, I have hit all major desires so far that I’ve manifested over the years.
It isn’t guaranteed that we’ll achieve all of our hearts desires, but I’d prefer to be brave and pursue all of my dreams and push past the small moment of disappointment I may feel and move on to the next goal, rather than conform to living a life I will later regret. From my career to some of my most valuable possessions, I’ve realized that not many people have been capable enough to obtain from themselves the level of success I’ve managed to achieve. My reasoning for expressing this is not to be boastful, I am only expressing proof that with a clear vision, plan and the proper habits, its simply possible to achieve the life you’ve dreamt.
“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”
— James Allen
Up to this moment, all that I’ve achieved has come with some sacrifice. I realized early on that if I wanted a lifetime of happiness and have a better chance at a life where I didn’t have to find ways to dig myself out of a deep whole later on, it meant I would need to make choices that weren’t necessarily instantly gratifying. Instead, I decided to focus on my priorities first and seek gratification later considering my grasp at that point in time. If it wasn’t in the budget or if it required time I didn’t have, then the opportunity would either be turned down or postponed. Needless to say, with this mentality and enforcing these along the way in life I’ve been quite successful. I had some minor adjustments along the way especially with timing, however I am still on the path envisioned and still live by these tried and true habits.
The effort was no doubt a difficult measure. There were times I would allow myself to fall victim to instant gratification and later experience the consequences, but the sacrifices I’ve made have shown what consistent discipline can present. Desiring a life of greatness alone isn’t enough, especially if you’re are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary along the way and by doing so, you’re consciously making the choice to accept “good” rather than giving yourself a chance at something “great”.
Some familiar scenarios we face include:
Social Engagements – Prior to starting my career and even now, with external endeavors, I’ve had my fair share of declining invitations to social gatherings. This may be the reality for you. Not only did I sacrifice meeting friends at happy hour or attending events, I’d sometimes also have to sacrifice trips or plans with family. There are even times now that I do not make myself available by phone just so that I can focus. I try and think about how beneficial these sacrifices will be for not only me personally but also my loved ones. What I’ll gain later can easily outweigh and surpass what I may be giving up at the time.
Non Essentials – Knowing the difference between essential and non-essential purchases. Essentials buys are things like living expenses and transportation costs, while Non Essential buys are items you only want and not have a true need for. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for the occasional retail self-rewarding, but I also know that small costly purchases could cause a major set back in progress especially if they are not purchases that will be benefit the overall goal. Making choices to sacrifice small material things now for the ultimate indulgences is much more important to me. Everything requires a financial investment. My purchases are typically calculated and purposeful. It will be your decision, however, to place value what is most important to you and determine if the instant gratification will be worth the larger sacrifice later.
Leisure Time – Being obligated 8 hours a day or more to be present at my day job means that when I get home, my goals need watering and that means taking time to do this. Some days I get home and want to do nothing but unpack mentally, turn on the tv or scroll aimlessly through Instagram to see what I missed out on. Instead, I have to make the decisions to get home and work on the real dream. Not that my day job is something I plan on giving up, but I know that it doesn’t completely fulfill the lifestyle I want to live at the moment. Which means working on the passions and making time for those so that they become a reality.
Money – Depending on what your plans for yourself and future are, you may have to sacrifice money in places you may not have been expecting to. Wanting to see the growth of our savings account is great! This means you see the importance of and value the idea of having resources in the time of an emergency. However, there may be unexpected expenses that require a dip into that savings or a re-allocation between priorities. You may have been saving for a particular vacation but now that you’ve hit a bump in the road you’ve taken on a new bill thats either requiring you to rethink vacation altogether or at least alter your plans to fit with your new budget.
Comfort – You have the power to make the changes you want to see happen in your life but if you’re complacent and unwilling to step outside of your comfort zone you’re most likely reluctant to make the necessary sacrifices. You’d be surprised of the progress you’d make if you were up for being more spontaneous or deviating from “your norm”. You may meet someone who has the last piece to the puzzle of your plans or be inspired with an ideal that will take your personal growth to the next level. Don’t allow restricted thoughts of being comfortable or the steadiness of your life get in the way of you making greater moves especially if the thoughts cross your mind.