Every year, people resolve that this year will be different: "This will be the year that I write that book, start that new venture, double my income, take more time off to spend with my family," and the list goes on and on. However, when people think about pursuing their dreams, they often squash the idea because it doesn't seem practical.

Does this sound familiar? You have a dream, but are afraid that if you pursue it, you would risk giving up what you already have. It is easy to put it off to a later date -- a time when there will be more money, more time and/or when the kids have graduated from college.

However, there is never a time when everything in your life is perfect for carrying out your goals. Don't wait for everything to be lined up. Once you actually commit to your dream, things will begin to fall into place. Know that is possible to live out your fondest dreams AND make a great living!

After supporting thousands of people across the globe in making their personal and professional dreams a reality, I have found the following strategies to be most effective:

� First, design your life around your priorities. Many people try to fit their dreams into their life and complain there are not enough hours in the day to make it happen. If you want your dream to become a reality, make it a priority.

For example, Stacy Allison, the first American woman to climb Mt. Everest chose to live just outside of Zion National Park so she could climb rock cliffs in her own backyard. Climbing was her priority for many years and she made choices in alignment with that.

� Second, handle the basics (food, clothing and shelter) then reach for fulfillment and self-actualization. If you can't stand your job any longer or have been forced out and you need a source of income, get a low-stress interim job to pay the bills while your pursue your dream.

� Visualize every step of your dream and watch the magic unfold. For example, an experiment conducted by Australian Psychologist Alan Richardson found a 23 percent performance improvement among subjects

Copyright � 2005 Stacey Mayo

About Stacey: Stacey Mayo is founder of the Center for Balanced Living (www.balancedliving.com), a certified career coach and author of "I Can't Believe I Get Paid To Do This! Remarkable People Reveal 26 Proven Strategies For Making Your Dreams a Reality," which shares spiritual and practical tools gleaned from remarkable people who have achieved high levels of success. For more information, log on to www.igetpaidtodothis.com or you can purchase the book from www.amazon.com.