Recently I was asked, “Do you wish?” I rapidly replied, “No.” This seemed to confound my friend who was under the impression that everyone wished for something: a bigger house, more money, a better relationship, time to travel. He asked, “Why don’t you wish?” The answer to this question was a little more difficult to put into words, but this is what I told him…
“I think my wishes are opportunities to plan, which turns them into goals.”
I think a wish is a purposeless idea. It involves your brain and your emotions, takes up your time, wastes your energy, and requires no action or expectation to make it come true. A goal on the other hand, uses the same amount of energy from your brain, you become emotionally invested in the outcome, and the process of moving toward your goals can result in wish fulfillment.
Consider writing down your wish…or wishes if you have many. Then write a list of 3 things you can do for each wish to make it come true. Maybe you’d like more money…write down 3 things you could do to get more money. Maybe you could do a yard sale and thin out some of your excess, or maybe you could get a part-time job, or maybe you could use some of your talent to help others. If you want a better relationship, maybe 3 things might be to go to counseling, read a self-help book on the subject you think might give you more knowledge on relationships, or maybe attending a weekend relationship retreat. If more time is your desire, you could write everything you do on a daily basis and prioritize your work so the most important things get done first. You could itemize how much time you spend doing “nothing” (watching TV, Social Media, texting, lounging) and use that time in a more productive way. The removal of clutter (physical and mental) will automatically make you feel better and you’ll think you’ve found a ton of time.
Begin trying not to “wish” for change in your life and begin to live purposeful in everything you do. Unmet wishes can lead to depression, resentments, and regret. Life has enough of that without us creating more emotional drama by fixing our hearts on unfruitful wishes. I look at a sunrise as God’s gift to us everyday and as a signal to me to set purposeful goals for this day. At the end of the day, I can look back over the past 14 hours and see what accomplishments I’ve made. This is how I get to have my wishes come true every single day.
Call Encouragers Counseling & Training Centers for more advise on goal development and making your wishes come true.