I’m a BIG dreamer.

 

Ask any of my friends and they’d say “pie-in-the-sky, change-the-world, move mountains” kind of BIG dreamer. I genuinely know that one person can make an impact on the world. I believe that every person has limitless potential. I want everyone I meet to believe in themselves as much as I believe in them. The problem used to be that I was a big wisher. The difference between being a wisher and a dreamer is a plan. 

 

I wished I could help make someone’s life better, happier, and healthier. I wished I could travel and meet people from all over the world. I wished I could feel joy and peace each and every day. I wished I could host retreats in beautiful locations. I wished my life would be different.

 

Just a few weeks before graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan with a Bachelor's Degree in History I was wishing I had chosen another major. A professor had asked what my future plans were and after fumbling through a response he looked at me and dropped this profound sentence: “you need to choose a career based off of who you are, not the things you want.” 

 

I went home that evening and found a graduate program to complete my Professional Certificate of Personal Training. At that point I was just dreaming but I had a plan so it was no longer just a wish. Since then I’ve tried to implement this kind of strategy into everything I do. If I wish something I look at what I can do to make it a dream and turn it into a reality. While turning my dream into my career path took all of one good conversation, other aspects have taken me decades. Regardless, I dream big and use the tools and strategies I’ve learned along the way to make and follow through on my plans. I dream that I can always teach everything I know and learn, and I plan to do so. 

 

Recently I completed a course offered through Yale University called The Science of Well-Being. I loved the course because it solidified what I already knew with evidence-based research and provided new tools and strategies to implement more happiness and well-being into daily life. 

 

One of the strategies I picked up from the course is called W.O.O.P. Since I am an 80’s baby I of course sing “woop, there it is” to myself each time I use the strategy or teach it to someone else. W.O.O.P. was created by psychologist and NYU professor Gabriele Oettingen. It is a practical, accessible, evidence/based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfill their wishes and change their habits. 

 

Recently I discussed how difficult it is for people to get what they want because they aren’t actually sure what they want. This strategy not only helps nail down what your dream is but how to implement it. WOOP is an acronym for: wish, outcome, obstacle, plan. 

 

Pick a wish that feels challenging but that you can reasonably fulfill. If you have a wish to be healthier you’ll have to keep narrowing it down. What does healthier look like to you? How will you become healthier? Go for a wish that is no more than 50% more than something you’ve previously accomplished. For example, if healthier to you means working out but you’ve only ever worked out once a week for a month you won’t jump to seven days a week for eternity. You’d set a goal (or wish) to workout twice a week for two months. 

 

To help keep you motivated to fulfill your wish you’ll want to come up with a compelling version of your best outcome. What is the most compelling vision of actually fulfilling your wish? Spend some time really imagining it as fully as you can. 

 

The second O, and one of my favorites stands for obstacle. When it comes to dreaming this is the critical point that a lot of people miss. Identifying your main inner obstacle will nip most of your problems in the bud. Having a compelling enough of an outcome may help you avoid your obstacles but knowing what your obstacles are will help you make a lasting plan.

 

Having a plan is what takes a wish and turns it into reality. Your plan will take all of these elements: your wish, your plan to celebrate the outcome, and a plan to overcome any obstacles that will stand in your way. Using and implementing simple strategies like this will be what takes you from wishing for a better life to living a better, happier, and healthier life. 

 

Sweat & Smiles,

Melissa

 

Editor's Note: Melissa (Romano) Robbins is the founder of You First a personal training program created because of a strong belief that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself! After graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan College she completed 200+ hours to obtain her Professional Certificate of Personal Fitness Training from Pierpont Community College.  Since 2009 she has worked full-time as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and wellness coach. She believes in functional fitness, healthy lifestyle changes and a holistic approach to a better, happier life. She was born and raised in Clarksburg and is married to Bridgeport native Alan Robbins, owner of First University baseball facility. Alan and Melissa welcomed their son, Cannon in September 2015. Visit Melissa's Web site at  https://youfirst.fitness/ or email her at melissa@youfirst.fitness.