Too often, Rachel Hollis says, we have big dreams in our hearts, but we don’t give them the energy and focus they require. We might also try to accomplish all of our dreams at once, not realizing that big dreams require uninterrupted patience and dedication. With this in mind, Hollis conceived of the 10-10-1 plan.
Related: Rachel Hollis: ‘You’re Allowed to Want More for Yourself’
10 Years
Imagine the best version of yourself in 10 years. Let your imagination roam freely, and picture what kind of person you are, what you might wear, where you might live, what you do, and how you feel. Write it down.
10 Dreams
Next, write down the 10 dreams that would need to come true in order for you to be that person that you just imagined. If the best version of yourself in 10 years can buy a new car without taking out a loan, then one of your dreams might be to have a certain amount of money in your bank account at all times.
Write this dream in a notebook every single morning. But, write it in the present tense, as if it’s already happened. For example, “I have $50,000 in my bank account” versus “I am going to have $50,000 in my bank account.” This trains you to think and act as if you are already the person that you’re working toward becoming and offers a specific outcome to be achieved.
1 Goal
To sharpen your focus, imagine one goal that would bring you the closest to your 10-years-from-now ideal self. Maybe you’re trying to be debt-free and have some savings for emergencies. It’s not enough to write, “I want to be better with money.” This goal isn’t specific or measurable. How will you know whether you’ve achieved it?
But if you write, “I want to make $100,000 per year and have $50,000 in my bank account,” it allows you to visualize specifically what you want and what it might take to get there. As leverage, Hollis says, you must understand why you want this goal. Maybe you understand that money is a negative source of tension in your relationship, and that financial independence would allow you to focus on your relationship without the additional tension of financial strain.
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HOLLIS CO.
