I want to start by saying this is NOT an ad. I repeat. NOT an ad. 

You’re probably thinking – no sh**t Sherlock people wouldn’t pay you to do ads… not yet at least ;). But in case you thought I was some super hip influencer who got offered free stuff to market, I certainly am NOT and do NOT. 

I DO just like to talk about the things I learn about and do every day that helps me in hopes that after reading about it maybe it will help you too!

That is why today I wanted to dedicate this entire post to my Start Today Journal I got from the Hollis Co. 

For starters, I have been enchanted by and totally obsessed with the self-help world and becoming a better version of myself since I was a junior in high school.  My mom sat me down to watch ‘The Secret’, in hopes that her melodramatic teenager would calm the f*** down, and I have been hooked since.  

I do and did the goal-setting, I write in a gratitude journal, I meditate, I keep a positive mindset, I go to conferences, I have a coach, I read all the books and do all the things. So naturally, when this Start Today journal came out by a leader I respect in the space, Rachel Hollis, I had to try it. 

It’s basically a gratitude and dream/goal journal all in one. You dream the big dreams you have for yourself in your life and then you break it down into 10 dreams you want to accomplish that will help get you that dream life.   Then you narrow it down to one goal. One goal you will put all your attention into this year.  Just one.  

This is incredibly difficult for an overachiever who always has a million goals at one time.  An achiever who always feel behind and like she’s not doing enough to get to her million goals.  I didn’t know if I would be able to focus and go after JUST one goal, but she spoke so highly of it I thought ‘let’s just give it a whirl and see what happens’. 

(Almost) Every morning since I got it in January, I started my day by writing 5 things I was grateful for. They are 5 things that give me all of the feels, the good-happy-excited-grateful feelings, that happened either the day before, that morning, or just things in general that were happening in my life that made me really happy. You start this way so to put yourself into that happy abundant state of mind.

Then every day I write down my 10 dreams and then the one goal I am focusing on. 

I’m not kidding guys, the first goal I started with came true within a month. I’m dead serious. I wanted to take a new step in my recruiting career, turn a new page, and a month later I was in a new role at an incredible company with people I love working with… 

Now, I had to figure out a new goal to focus on for the year. This would be the next marker for me to work towards to get me one step closer to one of my dream goals. It’s not shocking or hard to guess that the new goals were all around being really successful in my new position so I could continue to grow and learn. 

I made a small set of goals that were all around one big goal.  They were like mini markers within the big overall goal. I was still primarily focused on performance in my new role, with the markers really just being a reminder of what affect those mini markers would have on me and my family. 

But I have to say the next couple of goals I set for myself were stretch goals, and I mean strettttchhhhhh goals

They were the type of goals you set for yourself and think- if I ACTUALLY hit these goals… I will pee my pants. 

I will pee my pants type of excitement because these AREN’T your average joe goals- these are big monstropulous goals that I would love to hit ONE DAY.  

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I have always been a dreamer and let myself dream and believe in my big dreams.  Even when others have told me I was naive or ignorant for believing that I could, I went on believing and dreaming, and thank God I never listened… 

Because in just a short 7 months later I hit 2 of those mini markers that have made an ENORMOUS effect on my life and I am WELL on my way with hitting two more markers and then the overall goal!   This is all happening TODAY, not ONE DAY but TODAY. 

To date, I have met and moved past three of the most massive goals I have set for myself in my life. And not only did I hit them, but I hit them in 7 months after starting my start today journal practice. Let me repeat that… 7 months!!! Not one year, not 5 years, not 15 years, but HALF of one year.  These were goals I legitimately thought would take me years, that took me less than one. 

This realization dawned on me one day when I was driving to work.  I was half-listening to a new podcast and half thinking about the day ahead when I thought to myself “Holy sh** I have hit two of the goals… like I actually hit them…” I started to get like jumpy giddy in my seat. 

In that same thought, I totally forgot about what my initial goal of the year even was.  The minute I got to the office, I searched through my bag for my journal, opened it up, and I saw what I wrote down for the next step in my career.  

The next step which turned into the new opportunity that I got 2 months later, that I was in today, that lead me to and gave me the capability to achieve the massive goals I set for myself… It was all working and happening just the way I let myself dream it would.

When I looked at that entry I didn’t even know what to do. I just stared at it as my heart started to dance in my chest and tears welled up in my eyes… I actually did it… this sh** actually works. Note- I didn’t actually pee my pants. But you get the picture! 

The reason I am telling you this whole montage of what I have achieved isn’t to be boastful or show off if you know me well you know I am NOT about that life. 

I wanted to share it with you to show you that THIS SH** WORKS.  To show you that YOU can do this too. To encourage you to let yourself dream the big dream and believe that you can get there one day because YOU CAN!!  And that ‘one day’ is way closer than you think. 

This practice has also taught me that having focused attention on the one thing works.  It actually works better than any other way I have worked towards goals in the past.  All I needed was the tool to help me focus to get there, and that is EXACTLY what this journal did for me. 

Of course, the first step is allowing yourself to dream the dream and believe that you are worthy and capable of achieving it.  Then loading yourself up with the tools and knowledge to prepare youFinally, it’s the work that follows that actually gets you there.  

Day after day showing up for yourself and your dreams.  Always working towards that goal. Some days that ‘work’ will feel a sprint, other it will feel like a slow and steady walk but with every step, every ounce of effort you put in will get you one step closer as long as you never give up.

This journal is just a tool that will help you focus and concentrate while you are on that journey.  But man, I have never gotten to something as fast as I did while using this journal. Another reason why I wanted to share this with you today.

If you have a dream for yourself and your life, you have big goals that you want to achieve I would HIGHLY recommend investing in something like this.  If you don’t want to spend the money, Rachel Hollis tells you EXACTLY what to do and how to do it on your own, for FREE in Episode 72, of her podcast called Rise available anywhere you listen to podcasts. 

I’m telling you guys, this changed my life, and I hope it can change yours too.  =] 

Until next time, keep dreaming the dream. 

Love always, 

Em

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