If money were no object – what would you be doing? Would you still be working? If so, what job would you have? Where would you be living? Who would you be living with? What would your house look like? What would you do first thing in the morning? How would you spend your weekends? Where would you travel to? What kind of car would you drive? Would you have a pet? A beautiful backyard? A swimming pool? Your own business?

These are the types of questions we are sometimes afraid to ask ourselves. Why? Because dreaming big can be scary. Perhaps you are concerned about setting unrealistic expectations and not being able to earn enough money to make them a reality. Or, maybe you’re afraid to admit to yourself or to others what you really want out of life. It’s time to let those fears go. Because it’s very difficult to motivate yourself to put the hard work in if you’re not excited about where you’re going.  

Give yourself permission to get excited and start to believe that your biggest, wildest dreams can become a reality with a solid plan, the right support, and accountability. 

Aidan Gunda, an investment analyst from Toronto, experienced a major shift in perspective as he worked towards organizing his personal finances.

“Maybe I don’t want to just rent? Maybe I do want to get a place. Maybe I don’t want a simple, used car.  Because of the fact that I would have the cash and have the plan for it, I can now start to buy things more so based on what I value rather than just based on looking at the price tag,” says Gunda. 

Today, he’s working on saving up for his big travel dreams. “Last year in May I took a trip to the Philippines. During that entire time, I was thinking ‘man I wish that my girlfriend was here with me’. That big financial dream I am working towards right now is to have the cash to be able to take her to the places I’ve seen so she can experience them too.”

For others, like Rodrigo Noorani, a student from Toronto, lofty career ambitions are taking the front seat. “My goal is to become a doctor and I know it’s not a very inexpensive journey,” says Noorani. “I can save up, put money aside for exam fees, admissions fees, and, by doing that, develop a bit more maturity around finances.”

No matter what your dreams are the important thing is that you allow yourself to embrace them, visualize them, and believe that they can and will come true. This is the fuel you need to fire up your financial journey and get yourself and your bank account on track. It is what will inspire you to put in the hard work, stay the course, and take back control of your finances.
Get that spark going! Ask yourself: If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life? Share with us in the comments below.WRITTEN BY VICTORIA BEVILACQUA