Chapter 9 – Visions and Dreams

Your young shall see visions, your elderly shall dream dreams…”[1] Do you know what the difference is between a vision and a dream? In figurative terms, the answer is simple: a dream is a wish that will only come true if at all by chance. A vision is a beautiful image of a future that can come to pass with planning, dedication and hard work. A vision is indeed a youthful passion, full of hope. A vision becomes a dream when you give up on trying to make it real. I confess that as I have aged, many possible goals have passed into the realm of dreams. At the time of this writing, the task of completing and publishing this book remains a vision for my future.

In order for a dream to become a vision it must both be achievable and specific. Becoming an order mage as defined in this book is achievable. At this point in time, becoming a wizard who owns a castle, flies on a broom and can shape change at will is not. Becoming an order mage who uses planning software weekly, exercises and meditates daily, is law-biding, votes regularly, maintains a healthy social life, supports eco-friendly causes financially and helps to care for children or elderly relatives as needed, is specific.

It is said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I would like to tweak that so read: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single map.” For example, if you want to travel to Stonehenge in England, you will need a road map, showing you where to turn, and whether or not you will need airline tickets. A global positioning satellite app will even tell you which obstacles to avoid, including traffic jams and closed roads. Likewise, in order to reach the destination of your vision safely and on time, you need to map out the steps which are required to get there. As an example, I am going to map out for you a vision for something which I successfully did myself. This should give you a basic idea of how to harness the power of planning for visions of your own.

Vision: To build a home-based part-time accounting practice grossing up to 50k per year

TargetDone

Steps: DateDate

1. Identify needs

   1. College degree – already earned
   2. Choose bookkeeping software
      1. Scan online reviews of packages
      2. Compare available packages
      3. Ask CPA friends
      4. Select software & make purchase
      5. Begin using online tutorials
   3. Gather data.
      1. Research advertising options
      2. Budget software cost
      3. Meet with a competitor or two
      4. Price office furniture & equipment
      5. Investigate market saturation
      6. Research market rates of services
2. Obtain materials
   1. Apply for loan
      1. Visit banks
      2. Search online for loan options
      3. Compile information needed
      4. Submit application
      5. Apply online for business credit card
   2. Shop for furniture and equipment
      1. Visit three stores
      2. Inquire about delivery options
      3. Make purchases
      4. Wait for delivery
      5. Purchase business cards and stationery
   3. Shop fur business attire
3. Create business entity
   1. Investigate entity types & select one
      1. Research online articles
   2. Apply for IRS Tax ID number
      1. Go to irs.gov
      2. Sign up for online account
      3. Follow steps to request ID number
   3. File State business application
      1. Go to state website
      2. Fill out online application for business entity
      3. Pay with credit card
   4. Apply for local business license
   5. Create email account and website
      1. Select website build account
      2. Hire or self-build website
      3. Purchase business cards
      4. Write contract templates
   6. Obtain business insurance policy
4. Start to build the business.
   1. Open business bank account
   2. Begin keeping books
   3. Place ads
   4. Join networking group(s)
   5. Meet with potential clients
   6. Setup scheduling of services in software
5. Operate the business efficiently
   1. Use your planner weekly
   2. Check each client’s needs weekly
   3. Market continuously
   4. Collect your income promptly
   5. Thank your clients frequently
   6. Schedule estimated tax payments
   7. Schedule continuing education courses.

The above outline can easily be pasted into a spreadsheet for more convenient use of columns. When you use an outline like this, don’t forget to use the target dates for each task. A vision can fall back into the dreamworld if progress halts for too long.

As you can see, mapping out a vision for an enormous undertaking is…an enormous undertaking! Even this list does not take into account all the steps I had to take, not to mention the work getting the college degree. Yet it does give you a pretty good picture of the magnitude of such an endeavor. In any event, your chances of success are magnified if you take the time to probe the future and anticipate your needs and potential problems. Even then, a map like this will need ongoing revision as additional needs and obstacles become apparent. Budgets, calendars and vision-maps are all “living documents” requiring adjustment as reality unfolds. Similar visions can also be mapped out for raising a family, saving for, buying and furnishing a dream house, volunteering for a noble cause, or writing and publishing a book! It’s good to dream dreams; they are precious. It’s even better to have visions and use your powers to make them come true.

Moderation and balance are ubiquitous in the life of an order mage, and pursuing a vision requires them as well. It can be very tempting to throw everything you have at an exciting vision, but if you do this you will likely burn out long before its fulfillment. Setting aside a reasonable amount of time each week in working on your goal will make it all the more achievable. You still have loved ones, you still need rest and food and down time. In the same manner, you will run into ruts where the goal seems unattainable, or obstacles seem too great. Keep working even in small increments if necessary. You’ll catch your second wind in time. Some goals, such as gardening, yield gradual benefits over time, but others, such as writing and publishing a book (gasp!), have mostly one large reward at the end or seemingly nothing. Remember what I wrote earlier about behavioral therapy? You may find that if you grant yourself small rewards on a regular basis, the little daily steps can be easier to manage. Eating out, taking a walk, spending some extra down time with a loved one can serve as good incentives for plodding on toward your goal! This may require a bit of creativity. When writing this book, I found that I did not need to reward myself for writing; I was very passionate about it from the start. I had to learn to reward myself with writing only if I did all my other chores first! That’s right, I wanted to write so much that sweeping the floor and getting work done on time for my clients would have been skipped unless I retained balance over my schedule. Give it time. You’ll find your own balance as well.

So if you are not already working toward a major goal, or if you have space in your life for one or more minor ones to add, the next step is to choose your visions wisely. Perhaps it would be a good exercise to write down a list of your dreams and consider which ones may be turned into visions. You may note that I started my accounting practice in 2015, when I was 51 years old. I would probably do it again today. So don’t be too quick to think that you are too old to make dreams come true.