I have been in the room with some really extraordinary people like Oprah, Brené Brown, Dr Shefali, and there is one thing they all have in common. They dared to DREAM! But, they didn’t stop just there. They were intentional and relentless, and they took small action steps that eventually led them to make their dreams a reality.

While I have not made it anywhere near their levels of success I have been able to use the same strategy they did to create some pretty big shifts in my own life. Today, I am going to tell you about the exact process that I have used repeatedly throughout my life to reach my greatest accomplishments, and– newsflash I am NO ONE SPECIAL. Everything I have achieved YOU CAN TOO!

Let’s go on a little trip down memory lane. I was 20 years old, pregnant, not yet married,  and a college dropout.  Not to mention I had a student debt I hadn’t even told my boyfriend about yet. Not exactly the me you know, right? 

I had inherited some poor money management skills from my parents. You see, despite my parents working incredibly hard, money was always tight and typically the source of arguments. I can still remember the shame and second-hand embarrassment I felt as a child when my selfless mother would stand at a cash register ready to buy me clothes for a new school year only to have her debit card declined. Look, I’m not telling you this to paint some sad picture, I had a great childhood. What I want you to see is that I had my own set of challenges.

As I grew into adulthood I knew I wanted to be in charge of my future. I wanted to create a life where I didn’t have to stress over money in the ways that my parents had. So, I started getting really clear on what I wanted my life to look like. And, while that vision seemed impossible I wanted to at least attempt it- ignorance is bliss and at 20 years old I had a lot of it- ha!

I took leaps of faith, made bets on myself, and worked my tail off to get where I am. I have taken the strikeouts and the rejections and turned them into lessons. And, by goodness sake, I have never EVER given up. Now, I didn’t exactly know what I was doing when I was doing it. But looking back I can connect the dots and find tangible takeaways that can, hopefully, help YOU achieve your greatest goals while sidestepping some of the same mistakes I made.

I’ve since learned that many of the successful people I look up to also utilize a similar strategy, and there was actually a name for it- it’s called reverse engineering. I believe it can be life-changing so, go grab a piece of paper and let’s get started on creating your best life!!

Reverse Engineering- The Exact Strategy I Used

1. Close your eyes for a minute. Now picture YOUR version of a perfect dream life. What are you doing? Who is with you? What are the emotions you are feeling? Where are you physically? Don’t hold back. This should truly be your biggest, wildest, most fulfilling version of a life well lived. Really let go, feel it. Be there for a minute.
2. Now think about what you would need to achieve in order to make that life happen. Don’t worry about the details or about how you would make this happen. Just state the facts. These things should feel impossible. If they aren’t, go back to step 1 and DREAM BIGGER!!!
3. Now looking at your list what would you need to do in order to make those things possible? Would you need to raise capital, go back to school, start a side hustle, find your life partner, quit your job… Again, don’t get stuck on how you are going to accomplish these things. Just list them.
4. Next start breaking down each one of the items you listed. Go slow. Really think. What roadblocks are you anticipating hitting? Be honest. Are there some fears you are going to need to conquer, some mindset shifts you might need to make in order for you to step up and start building that life you know deep down you were born to live? Keep breaking these items down until you have a very clear idea of how you can start working on that goal today.
5. Now rate each one of those items. I like to look at what each item will cost me in both time commitment and actual dollars. I guesstimate what the return would be if I crushed it and also what I might be able to bring in if I was being more conservative. And, most importantly I look at whether this specific thing energizes me or depletes me.
6. Once you have rated your items figure out which ONE thing you are going to focus on right now, you can always come back to your list after you crush the first goal. This goal should be something that brings you energy (fills your passion bucket), and has the ability to drive success with both a time and financial commitment you feel good about.
7. This is where we are going to FOCUS!!
8. Starting today you are going to take action! It can be the smallest baby steps towards your goal. All that matters is you move towards it. Each step and each little win you have will help you gain the momentum you need to finally reach your goal.

*This post is part of a series. Come back next week in order to learn my secret hack, I do this daily. And, it helps me take action so I can actually reach my 1 big goal.

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Mama Munchkin

Amber is not only the dynamic CEO and founder of our team but also a dedicated mother of six and savvy entrepreneur. Her extensive travels with her family have not only created lasting memories but have also led to their tight-knit bonds. Helping you bring your family closer together and finding community with all of you is what gets her out of bed everyday (although her toddler plays a role in this as well).

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