Plan to acheive your dreams this year

January 3, 2017

Below is an insightful post written for Mind Key last year by Tara Ann Lesko. Even though the post talks about 2015, this New Year is no different (and DragonTree is offering a new version for 2017). While many people use the New Year to create resolutions, we prefer to create goals and to make plans. Just changing the terms we use make our thoughts more concrete. Use your time wisely this new year and check this planner out!

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2015 went by in a blur, as years often do when you are 30 or 40 plus. We are all familiar with the clichéd New Year’s resolutions made in late December while we’re entwined in tinsel and credit card debt. You know the type; lose weight, save money, exercise more, quit smoking, quit my job, quit complaining… You get the idea. But how many of us really take the time to physically map out and visualize an ideal year?

A planner, datebook or journal is an easy go-to holiday gift. Who doesn’t want to be more organized or have a place to jot down ideas? You’ve probably given or received one or two, maybe even more. The problem with most of these books is the lack of actual guidance. Without the prompts and questions needed to inspire, you’re often left with blank pages.

Peter and Briana Borten, creators of The DragonTree Apothecary, developed the Rituals for Living Dreambook and Planner. It makes journaling and planning meaningful because it forces you to be honest with yourself. With the use of unique charts, maps, visualizations and inspirational prompts, the Borten’s can help lead you through a fulfilling and purposeful 2016. There are other books similar to Rituals, but for a mere $15.00 dollars, you can download the entire 224 pages as a PDF file instantly. The book is broken down into the following five sections.

Sample Page from Rituals for Living – Dreambook & Planner

Connect – consists of a series of genuinely thought-provoking questions that ask you to identify your true core values, your numerous gifts (no matter how significant or seemingly minuscule), and your true life purpose. Skipping this section or BS-ing through it is not recommended.

Dream – This is where you are asked to stretch your imagination to the absolute limit, if there is such a thing as limits in dreams. Creativity is key here. The Borten’s help ensure that what you create speaks to your potential and your authentic self.

Craft – This is the mind map section, with beautifully drawn mandalas as your cores. If you retain more through visualization, this section will probably be heavily tabbed.

Ritualize – Do not mistake ritual for scheduling because this is so much more than writing a to-do list on a time chart. This section is about making the process of finding your true self vital, fun, and a meaningful part of your daily life.

Plan – Broken down into year, quarter, month, and week, this last section is where you keep track of your appointments and to-do’s. But most importantly, this is where you keep a record of your progress towards your big dreams, you true happiness, and your overall health.

The key to the Rituals Dreambook is authenticity. If you are not going to express no-holds-bar honesty, the book will have little impact on what you want to accomplish – reaching your highest potential and your ultimate purpose in this too-short existence.