When someone says they’re chasing the American Dream what do you think of? Working hard, buying a house in the suburbs, driving a Cadillac and retiring at 65 to spend your golden years traveling in a motor home?

I think there’s more to it than that.

The original American Dream was to live in a country where anything was possible because of the freedoms it afforded. Could these dreams materialistic in nature? Sure. But I believe at the time of the Founding Fathers and those living at the time felt life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were more about religious, political, economic, intellectual, and academic freedoms than striking it rich and retiring early.

Yet somehow along the way the American Dream has become tied to wealth and achieving it. Otherwise, you’re not following the American Dream, right?

I think it’s time to step back and reevaluate the American Dream. Having done so, here is what I think the American Dream is:

It’s the ability to write and publish whatever I want. It’s the freedom to explore different faiths and religious affiliations. It’s the opportunity to go to school and choose my profession. It allows me to be vocally critical of the government, and call out for change without fear of retribution, imprisonment or death. It’s packing my family into our car and going on a road trip to visit family without checkpoints, permits and papers.

Yes, accumulating wealth can be a result of these things, but I don’t think it’s the end-all-be-all of what our country stands for. The freedoms we enjoy are the true American Dream and they’re open to everybody.

This weekend I challenge everyone (including myself) to consciously, thoughtfully and (dare I say it?) reverently experience the the true American Dream. Learn more about our system of government. Attend a church or other religious meeting. Enroll for a class at a community college that you’ve always wanted to take. Write a journal entry, blog post or editorial for your local news paper about something you’re passionate about. Most of all, express your gratitude to someone for the blessings we enjoy by living in this country.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

LivSimpl

This post was inspired by a post at On Simplicity.

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So if you have a friend who has been interested in getting in shape, or need a little motivation yourself, you have about two weeks to jump in and start to develop the habit.

Working out with a friend has a lot of benefits, the largest being you’re much likely to make it to the gym if you know someone else is waiting on you, and vice-versa. Of course, you can motivate, encourage, and share in each other’s successes as well.

For a while now I’ve felt there was a lot I wanted to get done during the day and I was becoming frustrated that I wasn’t fitting it all in. I knew I could get everything done, I just hadn’t fully thought through how I should go about it. Here’s what I realized:

• I needed a concrete goal. To simply say “I’ll get up earlier” wasn’t cutting it.
• I needed to specify what I was going to so I didn’t fritter away my time.
• I needed to visualize myself doing the things I wanted to accomplish.

Concrete Goal
I pulled out my trusty, always-with-me Moleskine notebook and wrote down my ideal schedule. I say ideal because when I showed it to my wife she had to stifle a laugh. My day started at 5 am and culminated with me getting into bed at 9:30 pm and lights out at 10:00. Far fetched? Perhaps initially. But it was something I could work toward.

Schedule it out
My ideal schedule had everything on it that I want to accomplish during the course of a day and when I could accomplish it. Now I’m very aware that the “there just isn’t enough time in the day” excuse is no longer valid. There is time. I just have to discipline myself to use it properly. I should note that I didn’t go into detail about my work day, except to block out the hours I’m there.

Visualize yourself doing it
For years I’ve heard about how athletes are trained to visualize themselves making the free throw, completing the pass or acing the serve. And to be quite honest, it seemed a bit hokey to me.

I’ve had a change of heart.

Let me switch gears for a moment.

When I hear about people doing things I admire, like getting in shape for a triathlon (which my wife did before our son was born), I have a lot of respect for them. Their “cool” factor goes up a few notches in my mind. I think, “Yeah. Yeah! I want to be like that!”

So if I can visualize myself doing those same things, having that same discipline I admire so much in others, I am much more likely to do it myself. In fact, before I go to bed at night I picture myself getting up the next morning and going to the gym. It may sound weird, but it works.

Once you’ve laid out the first two things, all that is left is to do it. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but by visualizing yourself doing things and knowing what it is you want to do you’ll have the satisfaction of accomplishing the things you set out to do.

Please share your thoughts and comments!

LivSimpl

Photo courtesy of here.

1. Focus on the benefit.
Define why you have the resolution you do. Example: I want to rediscover my six pack abs that faded shortly after my son was born and, in general, get into better shape. The benefit of this? I won’t cringe when I look in the mirror, I’ll feel better in general and will have more energy.

2. Find a way to keep yourself motivated.
Everyone has great intentions until about February 2nd and then the goals* we were all fired up about don’t seem all that important and it’s easier to slack off. Motivation is the way to remember the benefit. There are a lot of ways to keep yourself motivated. Using the missing six pack example, perhaps it’s a “before” picture I tape to the mirror. Maybe it’s a collection of pictures of people doing active things who look fit. Or, my wife’s favorite, create a star chart and give myself a star every day that I do 100 sit-ups. You get the idea.

3. Don’t try to start accomplishing all your resolutions at once.
For example, let’s say your resolution is to become a well-read person, so you want to finish four books from classic literature this year. Instead of worrying about finishing all four books, pace your resolution so you read a book every three months. It’s a less intimidating way to look at things and you’ll be less likely to feel overwhelmed and give up.

4. Simplify your goals. Limit the number of resolutions you have. If you’re like me, you can probably list a couple dozen things you’d like to do better (or stop doing) right off the top of your head. Slow down, pick a the three or four of the most important things you’re passionate about. Define them. Determine what you have to do to achieve them and go.

What other things should you keep in mind when approaching your resolutions? Do you disagree with one of the points? Do you have any resolutions you’d like to share? The comments are open!

*I’m aware that the definitions of goals and resolutions are unique, but for the purpose of this post I’m going to use them interchangeably.