Need some inspiration for YOUR BIG dream?

Hey gang...

I just had a great conversation with BIG dreamer Mandy Van Maanen on our BDG Podcast.  Click here to check it out!

In the podcast... we had the chance to revisit Mandy's BIG dream that she posted on the wall at our original BIG dream gathering in our home.

And since she walked it out... she also offers some specific encouragement for dreamers who are thinking about going after one of their BIG dreams.

Then, we talked about one of her newest BIG dreams that involves the Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage in Nigeria.

Listen in as she talks about her passion for helping these beautiful children that have been helped by the orphanage... and her involvement in expanding the capacity of the orphanage from 7 children to 50!

How exciting is that?

Again... click here to listen in to this interview with this inspiring... and freakishly cool... BIG dreamer... Mandy Van Maanen!

I hope that it inspires you to dream BIG and go after your own BIG dreams!

Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

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If you would like to find out more about the Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage...

Click here to check out their website.

Click here to check out their facebook page.

Of if you'd like to see a video about the orphanage... check it out below.

Barbara Garlock shares an inspiring BIG dream!

Barbara Garlock has an amazing story... AND an amazing BIG dream!

She is a successful attorney... she has a huge heart... AND she is a stage four cancer survivor.  

Now, she is wanting to help others that are facing challenging health issues by introducing something she is calling a "Center for Patient Partnerships."

Check out our video interview from the recent BIG dream gathering in North Carolina...

She wants to start a center as a collaborative project affiliated with one or more universities.   

Students, practitioners and professors of medicine, law, theology, social work, psychology, nursing, etc. could help people navigate the health care system and be advocates for the patients who need it most!

And not just "treat" them... but help them in a loving and compassionate way... listening to them... and helping to provide resources and sense of peace.

So, if you have encouragement, ideas or connections for Barbara, please click "comments" below this post and let her know!

And keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

A little inspiration from someone who is walking out their BIG dream!

I connected with John Cheatem last night... and talked with him about his upcoming concert in Des Moines.

You may have heard of John... and better yet... maybe you've heard John first hand.

He's a 23 year old powerhouse with a voice that's incredible and a humble heart that's equally amazing.

If you have... or if you haven't... heard John sing... you need to check out this youtube video of John performing Amazing Grace...

Amazing... huh?

Well, John decided to take a step towards his BIG dream and hold a concert tomorrow night.  

Yup, It was a risk.  It was scary.  

Would people come?  

Would people make fun?  

Would people say... "Who are you to do that?"

That's right... John had to face all of those internal voices that we all have to face as we're walking out our BIG dreams.

Well, I'm glad he pushed through.  So is he.

Want tickets for the show?  Well, sorry.  Believe it or not... the venue is SOLD OUT!

That's right!

His first show... and it SOLD OUT!

It's going to be a great night and I believe the continuation of an amazing journey towards his BIG dream.

We'll schedule John for a BDG podcast soon, so we can get an update on his dream AND find out when his next show is scheduled for YOUR area!  (We'll have to get it early though... because I have a feeling he's going to sell out a whole lot of venues!)

Be inspired!  Send up some prayers for John for tomorrow night!  And... Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

So... are you willing to reverse the trends?

Hey gang... a friend pointed me to this awesome video that won a recent contest sponsored by the AARP.

Check it out... and give it some thought.

 

I know the dream team behind the BIG dream gathering believes in reversing the trends.

I know many of you... the BIG dreamers that we've been honored to connect with... believe in reversing the trends. (Want an example?  Check out Carly's story!)

How about you?

Where do you want to be in 10 years?

Where do you want the world to be in 30 years?

Yeah... let's dig in... let's dream BIG... let's walk out what we were put on the planet to do... and by doing that... we'll reverse some of these trends!

Who's with me?

Mitch

A BIG dream thank you to our military and their families!

Melissa and I had an brief but amazing conversation with a woman yesterday.

She let us know that she had recently talked to her son who has been serving with the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

She beamed with pride as she told us about how even though his life is at risk every day, he LOVES what he is doing and he LOVES serving his country in this way.  

Even though it seemed like a small gesture, we asked that she tell him THANK YOU from us when she talked with him next time and she agreed to do it!  

It always amazes me to hear about our women and men who are serving in other parts of the world.  For so many of them... it's their BIG dream to do it.

Their BIG dream is to do all that they can do to keep us safe.

And I am so grateful for it!

I'm also grateful to their families and friends who sacrifice while they are away!

So... today we want to say THANK YOU to everyone who serves in this way... and a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has served our country in this way in the past!  

You have given so much and we are so grateful!

AGAIN... even though it seems like such a small gesture compared to what you have done... THANK YOU!

Here's a song and a story to inspire your BIG dream!

My friend, Roy Galan, pointed me to a video this morning. 

I wasn't sure what to expect... but I needed a little something to get the creative juices flowing... so I decided to check it out.

Wow... I'm glad I did.

I was not only freakishly blessed by the song... but by the story behind it.

So... Is your BIG dream needing a little inspiration?

Are you needing something to get the juices flowing'?

Are you needing a reminder that we're all in this together?

Yeah... okay... check this out...

Cool huh?

Well... here's the rest of the story.

This video is from www.PlayingforChange.com. 

These guys have a BIG dream that is incredible.  Basically... they feel that music can be used to bring people together and to bring some peace to the world.

This BIG dream has taken them around the world... and in many ways... has turned into a movement.

Click here to hear one of the co-founders talk about their journey so far.  Check it out... and be inspired!

So... what's one of your BIG dreams?

What if it turned into a world-wide movement?

I know... I know... it may not feel possible.  But the guys behind PlayingforChange had no idea where their BIG dream would take them when they started a few years ago. 

But in the last few years... they've been able to travel the globe and connect with countless musicians from all walks of life!  Plus, their most recent trip included a stop in Dublin to work with a performer who doesn't get to play on the streets much anymore.  (That's right... they got to record Bono himself!)

Yeah... just ask these guys... they'll tell you... it's possible. 

So... why not hum a few bars of Stand by Me... and take a step towards that dream?

Remember... we're all in this together!

Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

So... what do you want to "DO" today?

Image by Great Beyondvia Flickr

Okay... so... we are continuing our conversation about budgeting our time... especially when it comes to going after our BIG dreams!

We're wanting to figure out your unique "D.D.A.E. equation." 

(That's deciding what you need to DO, DELEGATE, AUTOMATE or ELIMINATE.)

In my last post, I suggested starting this process with taking a "snap shot" of how you are currently spending your time.  I even included a tracking grid to help in the process.

Today, we are going to start by looking at the first "D" in the equation. 

Yup, that's right.  We're going to talk about what you actually need to be "DOING."

This sounds simple enough... doesn't it? 

But whether you are a stay-at-home-parent, an entrepreneur or a high-level executive, we all seem to have a lot of stuff to do!

Some of this "stuff" represents things that we need to be doing... but some of it is stuff that we don't need to be doing anymore... right? 

How about you? 

After tracking your time for a week, did you figure out you were doing some things that you didn't need to be doing? 

Maybe, if you're like me, you found things slipping into the daily schedule due of bad habits, old habits or maybe because nobody else will do it!

Now, there are a lot of places to turn to get help on deciding what to do and not do. 

You can look to Covey's Four Quadrants.  (Click here to check out the quadrants represented in fun cartoon format!) 

You can look to gurus like David Allen and read Getting Things Done.

Yup, these are great tools!

But I'm going to challenge you to think BIG PICTURE for a minute. 

Why? 

Well, a lot of times we wind up doing things that we don't need to be doing because we don't REALLY know where we want to go. 

So, it's as Epictetus said, "First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." 

This is especially true when you are considering going afer one of your BIG dreams.  Sometimes it might involve a major career change... but sometimes it might involve doing some things on the side to move towards your dream... small step... by small step.

This is what Tim Ferris did in his pursuit of the 4-Hour Work Week. 

He got clear on what he wanted life to look like... and what he'd need to do to get there.  Then he started to align his daily tasks with that vision.

So... here are some questions to ponder:

• What are some of things I want to achieve in the next five years? (Or how about 10 to 25 years?)
• Who do I want to be?  Who do I feel called to be?  What do I want life to look like?

Then... as you are looking through your daily task lists... ask yourself some of the following questions:

• Can I link this task to these goals?
• Will this help me to achieve these goals?
• How could this task help me in the pursuit of these goals and dreams?

Now, I'll admit that 100 percent of your to-dos won't pass this test.  They won't all clearly link to these big goals and dreams.

But what if you held yourself to a higher standard? 

What if you simply agreed to take a look at this? 

What if you were willing to at least consider these questions and hold yourself to a greater number of your daily tasks lining up with your bigger vision and dreams? 

How might that help you move towards these goals and dreams?

Then... as you find tasks that align with your goals... you can start to think about ways to do more of those things.

And for the things that don't pass the test, you can agree to at least consider putting some of them in one of the upcoming categories in the D.D.A.E. equation!  (Delegate, Automate or Eliminate)

Stay tuned... because we'll be getting you specific strategies for these categories in the coming weeks!

Go ahead... take the challenge... think BIG picture... set up some targets to shoot for... and start aligning your day to these goals and dreams.

Keep dreaming BIG!

Mitch

A BIG dream gathering podcast with Vicki Hunting!

Do you know a child that is hard of hearing or deaf?

Can you imagine what it is like for the parents to find out... for the first time... that their child is hearing impaired?

Well... Vicki has lived it... and that experienced changed her life... and she says... changed it for the better!

And now, she is helping families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing to not only survive... but thrive! 

I met Vicki a few weeks ago.  Her dream and her passion blew me away.  

So... I wanted to have her on the BDG podcast so you could hear her story... and also possibly... pitch in and help out with her BIG dream! 

Here's some background:

Vicki is the co-president of the Iowa chapter of Hands& Voices.

Hands & Voices is a national level non-profit parent-driven, organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In the podcast... you'll hear more of Vicki's story... and her dream that involves Hands & Voices.  Plus, you'll even find out how you can help!

Click here to listen in on the podcast with Vicki!

If you want to help out... or just find out more about Vicki and her BIG dream of helping these amazing kids and parents... click this link to her website: iowahandsandvoices.org.

Thanks for listening in... and thanks for dreamin' BIG!

Mitch

What do you and Warren Buffett have in common?

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Your calendar and your clock.

That's right. 

Warren's calendar and clock are exactly the same as yours.

Even with billions... Warren can't buy more months in a year or more hours in a day.

Yup... Time is the world's even playing field.

And although we all get the same amount, everyone seems to want more... especially when we're going after some of our BIG dreams!

But since we can't get more... the key is to spend it more effectively.

Now, in today's world, there are some options to help with this.

As some of us think about becoming more effective with our time... we dream of hiring help... maybe a real or virtual assistant (ala Tim Ferris's 4-hour Work Week).  Some of us want to automate.  You know... go high tech with a new electronic gadget or new freaky cool scheduling software.

All of that is fine, but I suggest starting this process with a taking a "snap shot."

That's right. 

Start by figuring out where your time is currently going.  That will enable you to figure out how to improve.

Get started by downloading this simple time tracking grid that I use with some of my coaching clients. Download Kick Coaching - Time Tracking Sheet

Now... I can imagine that some of you are saying... "Hold on.  I have my planner.  I know where I am spending my time."

Yes, you do.  However, if you are like most people, your daily calendar shows you where you were supposed to spend your time, or where you wanted to spend your time, but it won't give you the full picture. 

This grid allows you to go deeper.

It allows you to figure out EXACTLY where you are spending your time... minute by minute.

It will help you to track the scheduled meetings as well as the impromptu chats interruptions and Internet surfs.

Yup, this grid will give you a more accurate snap shot of how you spend each day.

I know... I know... this is a scary thought for some... but this is the only way for you to come up with a more effective plan to move towards the D.D.A.E. of more effective time management! 

(That's figuring out what you can DO, DELEGATE, AUTOMATE or ELIMINATE!)

Give it a try. 

And as you do, don't filter.  Don't try to pretty it up.  If you lose track of time and spend 15 minutes talking to a friend... write it down.  If you wind up doing something off task... track it. 

(NOTE: You'll need to come up with abbreviations for things.  There's not a lot of space to write and that's intentional.  Just develop a key that will allow you to jot things down and record them, without feeling like you need to write a novel each time!)

Then, in my next post, I'll offer some solutions that will help you spend that time more effectively by figuring out your "D.D.A.E. Equation!"

Okay... start tracking that time... and then... next time... we'll figure out how to do more of what you want and need to do... and less of the rest!

By the way, it probably took you about three minutes to read this... and I'm hoping you thought it was time well spent!

Keep dreamin' BIG!

Mitch 

A BIG dream update from Carly!

Hey gang...

Many of you have been asking for an update about Carly's BIG dream of building a well in Africa!  (Click here to check out the original post.) 

If you haven't heard, she's the amazing high school senior who came up the idea of having her school raise enough money to drill a well in Central Africa!

Carly shot us an update last night... and it's going GREAT!

Since our last post, she has been busy...

• She met with her principal and he LOVED the idea!
• She pitched it to one of the clubs at her high school... and they LOVED it!  She said she was blown away by how many people signed up to help!
• And she has a school-wide presentation this Wednesday, to get the school on board!  Go get 'em Carly!

Then... you may remember that Carly wanted to get 1,600 bracelets in order to raise the money for the wells in Africa.  In her video, she asked for help on this.

So... the BIGGEST update is that one of her sister's good friend's dad works for a company that makes give-away items... including promotional bracelets!  He heard about the dream and talked with Carly about it. 

After the conversation, he let her know that his company had decided to donate half and pay for the rest! 

That's right... she got the bracelets that she needed!

Plus, they have cut the normal delivery time from 6 weeks down to days, so she, and her team, can have them to sell before the end of the school year!

How cool is that?

So... yeah... here's a high school student who is teaching the world about dreamin' BIG!

If you want to help out Carly... or just leave her an encouraging word...  just click on "comments" below.

Oh and hey... what if we all followed Carly's example... and her wisdom? 

I'd say the world would be a better place!

Keep dreamin' BIG!

Mitch