Hello from DA BEACH! How was your 4th of July??? For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’ve been on true ~vacation mode~. I’ve been pretty MIA on Instastories, haven’t posted a blog since the 3rd – which might not be anything significant at all to many, but to me, I feel like a new woman. #Bless. J + I came to Ocean City, Maryland to meet my parents who were here for the week, so we made a little mini-three-day vacay out of it for ourselves, too. The sun, sand, + surf have all been en pointe, and it feels reaaaaaaally nice to not have to whip out a phone or laptop every 32 seconds, so I’m pretty *stoked* that we’re coming back home to a weekend and not a full work week ahead. 😉 On my two little beach escapes in the past month, I’ve been reading this gem, and chances are if you follow along on Instastories, you’ve already heard me sing some of its praises. I had heard word on Tim Ferriss as an author before, but hadn’t picked up any of his books before this summer. So a book on a 4-hour workweek? Sign a sistah up. I mean, SURE, I *technically* create my own schedule as an entrepreneur (since CUR + blogging is my fulltime gig). But working only 4 hours in a whole week?!? Hilarious. I’m lucky if I work less than 80 some weeks. Granted, much of that is due to the fact that CUR is so closely integrated into my regular life, so it can be just blatantly difficult to separate “work” from “play” oftentimes. If I’m on Instagram, technically that’s “work” – but it might not feel like it in the moment if I’m also seeing snapshots of my girlfriends’ babies or finding recommendations for a new place to eat in town. So I picked up the book because I was a.) intrigued, and b.) curious as to what relevant tidbits I could pick up for le future. Learning how to dreamline effectively was DEF top of the list so far!

Especially since Management was one of my concentrations in school at Wharton, I’ve always been suuuuuuper fascinated by different managerial techniques, ways to improve efficiency, how to up your productivity – the whole nine yards. So this book was top of my list for awhile. (And a favorite last month!)

SO. As I sit here on our hotel balcony on our last day in the sun, I wanted to share one of most impactful exercises I’ve come across in its pages thus far that I think might be applicable to YOU guys in your own lives/jobs/dreams. Enter: Dreamlining.

Dreamlining is applying timelines to what most would consider dreams.

Ya know how we always say around here to “make it happen”???

WELL. To dreamline IS to make dreams happen. Like, actually happen. So that they’re no longer dreams, but reality. Interested? I THOUGHT SO.

SO. Sharing a buncha insights straight outta the orange-bound pages with y’all – I hope you find it as helpful/cool/interesting/try-worthy as I do!

First thing’s first: Three keys need to be in place to dreamline:

1. The goals shift from ambiguous wants to defined steps.
2. The goals have to be unrealistic to be effective.
3. It focuses on activities that will fill the vacuum created when work is removed. Living like a millionaire requires doing interesting things and not just owning enviable things.

To dreamline effectively, there’s basically a 6-step process of Q’s to ask yourself.

     1. What would you do if there were no way you could fail? If you were 10 times smarter than the rest of the world?

Now, you’re going to create a 6-month AND 12-month timeline. In each, list up to 5 things you dream of HAVING (so, a new car, a Gucci bag, a big house – get as specific as possible whenever/wherever you can! If you can say you want a 2018 Lexus Nx 300h, A+ for specificity. A Gucci Marmont bag in Black. The 5-bedroom, 3-bathroom house that’s an hour from your parents with a big backyard for the dog – perfection), BEING (fluent in Spanish, a great cook, etc), + DOING (visiting France, horseback riding on a beach, etc). The bigger you can think outside the box here, the better. The key is to not limit yourself for ANY reason at all – including perceived lack of money, time, intelligence, etc. You’re trying to hone in on *exactly* what you desire most in life. And if it’s not to “save the animals” or “bring world peace,” THAT’S OK – you’re not an a$$hat You’re just trying to dig deep into exactly who you are so that your dreamlining can bring about the absolute best version of you + your life that you didn’t even realize was POSSIBLE (until now 😉 ).

     2. Drawing a blank in your dreamline?

     3. What does “being” entail doing?

     4. What are the four dreams that would change it all?

     5. Determine the cost of these dreams, + calculate your Target Monthly Income for both timelines.

     6. Determine 3 steps for each of the four dreams in just the 6-month timeline, and take the first step NOW.

SO. Breaking it down, we’ve got:

Step 1: Having

Step 2: Being

Step 3: Doing

Step 4: Being -> Doing

Step 5: Cost

You can copy the above lil’ diagram from the book onto a piece of paper or in your favorite notebook, and VOILA. You’re now so much closer to making it happen. So dreamline away, my friends.

Have you created a dreamline before? Will you be dreamlining now?

I’d lovelovelove to know – ’cause this ish is FASCINATING. (Or at least I think so – ha!). What goals are on your own dreamline? Are you more excited about the Having, Being, or Doing column on your own dreamline? LET ME KNOW.

Happy Friday – TGIF, and thank the LORD for holidays in the smackdab middle of a workweek. Amiright? 😉