I believe everyone…teens, young adults, college graduates, newlywed couples, families, empty-nesters, retirees…everyone can take steps today to live their dream life!

Here’s the thing…

You and I now live in a time of unprecedented opportunity – Not just in America, but all over the world – to live the lifestyle we want, to do the work we love, and to make a difference in causes we care about.

But looking at just America for a moment…70 years ago, the American dream was to find a good job and work it your whole life.  You could buy a home, raise your family, and retire with a nice pension.  You took care of the company for 45 years and then when you retired, they took care of you.

My friend, you and I both know that those days are long gone. You can’t rely on others to make life happen for you.  You’ve got to make it happen.

Today, you don’t have to be limited to the job you can walk to.  We can now work where we want and live where we want – or even live and work at home – thanks to the Internet, cell phones, cars and airplanes.

You don’t have to do the job you went to school for.  Now you can do the work you love! Today,you can easily learn new skills today through formal or informal education.

You don’t have to work in a job based on what you can do…you can work a job based on what you know.  Information, or knowledge, is king in today’s economy.

You don’t have to organize your life around your work.  Now you can organize our work around the lifestyle you want!

And with today’s tough economic climate, there has never been a better or more important time to make the decision to live the life you want and do the work you love.

There are no guarantees any more.  You’ve got to take charge of your life and career because no one else will do it for you!

If you’re not living your dreams you’re living someone elses.

I’m writing on the topic of Lifestyle Design because I’ve met way too many people in this world who live unfulfilled lives.  They’ve mostly let life happen to them instead of making life happen for them.

Henry David Thoreau said that most people “live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”

Maybe you’ve met them too, people who…

• Have given up on the hopes and dreams they had as children
• Just accept what comes their way as their lot in life, never realizing they can do something to change their situation
• Are living on “defense” all the time, reacting to what comes their way, instead of going on offense and making things happen the way they want.
• Have no idea what they’ve been put on earth for.
• Feel trapped in a job they hate.  They believe they’ll never get paid to do a job they love.
• Have a home and family life that isn’t quite what they had expected it to be.
• Have it all but it doesn’t seem to be enough…there must be something missing.

You probably know people who fit this description.  You may even be one of them!

Part of the problem is that most people live life on autopilot.  They just accept whatever comes their way as their lot in life.  They don’t think there’s anything they can do…any steps they can take…to bring change into their lives.

I believe everyone has the ability to discover their passions, identify their calling or purpose in life, live their dreams, and do the work they love.

The process that gets you there is what I call Lifestyle Design.  Others have called it life planning, life design, work-life balance, living on purpose, or enlightened self-management.

We’ll get into the “how-to’s” of Lifestyle Design in future posts.