I've recently had a few huge epiphanies and I thought they might be worth passing along. While in the states this summer at my mom's house I had the task of cleaning up old tax and business documents I had been storing in her attic. I discovered an old coaching workbook I had saved from my days as a singleton living in my tiny, rented New York City apartment. I had just started my coaching business (this was 14 years ago). In that workbook, was an exercise that I still give to my clients to this day – design your ideal life -- make a scrapbook, a collage, draw a picture and or write about it in as much detail as possible. Now in my own workbook I found a sketch of my ideal life and I was astounded. I had achieved almost everything I had sketched out. Now mind you, my sketches were simple little stick figures, but there I was dancing with my husband (okay, he doesn't dance, but he is a wonderful man!), there were two little stick figure kids, a house by the sea, an international speaking career as a best-selling author, a jet plane to represent all my international travels, a horse ranch, and a loft in Manhattan overlooking the East River, and $5 million dollars.

I was astonished to see that I had achieved all the most important parts of my sketch. Okay, well I don't have the apartment in NYC, a horse ranch, nor do I have anything close to $5 million in the bank, but that is the also the good news because it proves that you don't have to have a million to have your ideal life and a lot of what you think might be ideal really isn't. Now that I actually do own property (the beach house!) I can tell you it is plenty enough to maintain. I wouldn't know what to do with a horse ranch and I certainly don't want to scoop up after any horses – all I really want is to ride a horse on occasion that someone else was looking after. I'd be happy to have $5 million socked away, but not having it hasn't prevented me from having the important stuff.

So what is the epiphany? First, this ideal life exercise is much more powerful than you may at first realize. Second, you don't necessarily want everything you may think you want. Third, you don't need nearly as much money as you think. Fourth, it will take the time it takes, which may not be as fast as you think it should take, but ultimately is the perfect amount of time. Fifth, you don't have to worry about drawing the wrong thing because you won't attract the wrong things (like the horse ranch.)

If you haven't sketched out your own ideal life, I hope this inspires you to do it now!

Enjoy!

Talane