10 years, 10 dreams, 1 goal.
10 years from now, how do you want your life to look like?
10 dreams, what dreams will bring your 10-year vision to reality?
1 goal, what is the one thing you are going to focus on?
Rachel Hollis recommends this exercise in her book “Girl, Stop Apologizing”, with the intent of bringing both the dreamy vision of setting goals and the undeniable necessity to center your efforts towards one goal.
The first question, the 10-year vision, requires a free mind to dream and to envision an incredible future. It might be difficult to get into the spirit if you're not allowing yourself to dream often. But the purpose of the exercise is exactly that one: let you dream and enumerate your greatest desires: a mansion with 2 bathtubs, a treehouse, a gym, a music studio, and a big library.
The 10 dreams have the intent of pointing out what needs to happen, in multiple areas of your life, to reach your dreamy life. Your relationships. Your career. Your health. Your finances. Your skills. And Rachel suggests an interesting approach to review your dreams: every day, write your 10 dreams down as if they were 100% true. "I am an exceptional girlfriend." "I work for my business full time, making x$ each month." "I am in the best shape of life, with x% body-fat, a six-pack, etc". "I am full of energy, resting and eating incredibly." And so on. When you say "I am" or "I have", even if inaccurately, your brain will actively seek out those to reduce the cognitive dissonance of stating untruths. Besides, and if the previous explanation looks foolish, the act of writing every day your 10 dreams, is a way of making you reconnect with your goals and desires.
Finally, pick one single goal to focus on — choose the one with the highest possibility of bringing you closer to your 10-year-vision. Be very specific and don't just write "I want more money." How much? How do you want to spend it? How much do you want to save?
“It’s not about the goal or the dream you have. It’s about who you become on your way to that goal.”