Live your dream with the foundation of direction needed to implement it successfully. Choices are often made emotionally. This post shares key action steps.

For over 20 years, I skied 100+ days every year: back-and-forth to New Zealand and Canada or Europe. These years included developing the skills and competition results needed to turn pro. Becoming pro was a Dream come true, and I lived it for 12 amazing years. After that, I stayed in the industry coaching and enjoying the mountains as a retired competitive skier.

READ My FIS Skier Bio (I skied in two World Cups, and came 5th in one! Career high)

I was 17 when I left home, with my backpack. Headed to Europe in quest of making skiing my everyday life.

From making that dream happen, I learnt how to make other dreams also happen. For example, Smiley Fitness Retreats – an incredible weight loss retreat with daily hiking and fitness.

Don’t get sucked into the hype

In this post, I share the exact formula to live my dream with optimism that I’ll still like it, after going ‘all in.’

Holding onto a dream with white knuckles is praised by society – “never quit” and “don’t stop until you make it”…

But I don’t believe this to be healthy. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is walk away from something that no longer serves you. To live the dream and actually have it still be your dream after you give it everything you have is a process that takes mindfulness and planning.

It doesn’t sound sexy, does it! ? ! Join the conversation on this LIVE YOUR DREAM article here on Linkedin

The secret is in the deadline 

I follow the ‘rule of 100 days.’
I’ll go all in with something for 100 days.

If, at the end, it either doesn’t work out, or it isn’t making me happy, I’ll walk away well researched with a dream on the shelf that I won’t die wondering about

Because endlessly living the dream without markers in place is like running on a treadmill with no end in sight

Failure is inevitable, success is not guaranteed – and regrets for not trying might last a lifetime!

I love the 100 day rule. It’s definitely enough time to show progress, or determine if it’s really not for you. I’ll admit there are some times depending upon the particular experience or project I’ve definitely decided on a longer time frame. Moving forward especially the last several years I’ve stuck with mostly the 100 days.

Crystal Ortega (Pluymakers), Coach & Business Professional.

Bullet proof your chances of ‘making it’ with these 4 markers

> How in debt you’re prepared to go to live your dream

> How many auditions, interviews, rejections you’ll do

> How long you’ll keep trying

> How will you determine success

Map out the steps needed to turn that into an action plan.

If you don’t achieve it during that time, let it go and be happy where you are without it.  Return to the foundations of reflection and growth, before continuing to “live your dream” past when it actually is. It’ll take you away from time you could spend finding joy elsewhere.