Creating a Vision: Your Perfect Day
This is a much more personal post than I usually have on my blog and it’s in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 3. Creating a vision of your perfect day is a great exercise that I highly recommend. I did this once before as part of Tamsen Garrie’s Act of Attraction programme. My vision then was instrumental in taking me to where I am now; living in Portugal and working in the UK.
Please remember this is my vision, I’m not there yet but it is a work in progress! Having looked for an image of my perfect house, I realised I was going to have to have it built as I could find nothing I really wanted!
Natalie said to put in a lot of detail so I hope this is not too boring for everyone!
Creating a Vision: The Scene
I wake up at my usual 6:15am in our renovated, single storey Portuguese farmhouse outside Portimão. The views are across the valley towards Monchique in one direction and the ocean in the other. Both aspects are stunning and I love living here. The farmhouse has vaulted ceilings in the open plan kitchen and living areas with large dual aspect windows and patio doors that the sun streams through. I can see the sunrise in the morning and the beautiful sunsets in the evening.
We have 3 bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms on one wing and then a central double height open plan living and dining area. The kitchen, utility room and boot room on the other wing. Attached to the house is a restored 2-storey traditional windmill which we use as an office/library area.
My Perfect Day
It’s a beautiful sunny and warm day. I can look out of my bedroom patio doors and see the paddocks and stable block with 3 stables. There’s also a covered hard concrete area for grooming and an open barn opposite for storage.
The landscaping is really beginning to take shape now and the kitchen garden and flower beds are coming into full bloom. The birds are singing in the woods and there’s a calm, serene, natural atmosphere that gives me an appreciation of the beauty of nature and a sense of wellbeing and relaxation.
I sit on the covered patio outside our bedroom and do my 10-minute meditation practice which helps me get my day in perspective. Then it’s time for a short 20-minute Pilates routine of exercises before I go and give the horses their breakfast.
I then turn them out into the field before the local groom, who stables her horse here, arrives to take over for the rest of the day. I stand and stare at the horses contentedly munching now they are in their field before heading back for my own breakfast. Geoff and I have a healthy breakfast together of fresh fruit salad, eggs, and toast.
After breakfast, it’s time to fit in 2-hours work. I check my emails and the sales of my courses overnight. Over the past year, I’ve established an outsourced team to deal with the day-to-day routine work and tasks. The team has grown in the past year and I now have a VA, a Social Media Manager, a web designer for our own and clients’ websites. I also have a Workaway.info girl, who’s staying with us in exchange for 5 hours work a day. We’ve had some lovely people from Workaway and it’s fun having them stay.
On the Road again
My suitcase is already packed for my 5 night-4 day trip to Philadelphia, USA for the Conference I’m presenting at. I’ve now got back into my old habits of duplicate toiletries and makeup so I don’t need to wait to add in last minute items. I’ve also got used to travelling light and try to stick to just hand luggage. I now have a great basic wardrobe mix, around my signature colours, together with some fun accessories.
After the conference, I’m spending the weekend visiting my long-time friend, Marion, in New York. I’m really looking forward to catching up with her.
I have a Skype call with my VA to check that my presentation has been sent and everything is set with the Conference organisers. I also have a Skype call with my business partner in the UK, Sammy. She and I are currently working on a new course as part of our Membership site.
My Journey
The car arrives to take me to Faro Airport for a short flight to Lisbon and then onto the USA. I go through the usual security routine and half an hour later I’m through. I have a quick tour of duty-free, just to browsing, and then into the Business Class Lounge to wait for my flight. Boarding is starting at 2pm for a 2:30pm departure.
My flight plan is to unwind when I get on and my usual habit of falling asleep before and during take off! It’s a habit I developed years ago and I only have to sit down on a plane and I’m asleep! The flight to Lisbon is uneventful and then it’s finding the gate for my US flight and hanging around for that to depart.
Once I’m on board for the transatlantic flight, I fall asleep again – I can’t help it! I’m woken by the stewardess for a meal and then decide to review my speech for the conference. I decide to watch a movie to pass the time. After a smooth and comfortable flight, we land on time in the early evening.
Next step is going through US Customs and Immigration. Not too bad a wait this time, then through to find the limo that’s meeting me – laid on by the conference organisers.
The heat and humidity hit me as we leave the air conditioning of the terminal. I love being back in the USA again. The fast pace, the noise of the sirens, the loudness of the accents and the general joie de vivre as people meet and greet loved ones.
I enjoy the sights of the city as we approach – the huge whale mural on the side of the building as we approach. It’s by an artist we bought a painting from on one of our visits to Cape May in New Jersey. Then into Philadelphia itself – smaller and not quite so hectic as Manhattan but still with an American pace to life and a mix of modern skyscrapers and traditional brownstone buildings.
I get to my hotel to check in and complete all the paperwork. The bellboy takes my case up and shows me to my room, booked and paid for by the Conference organisers. They have even arranged for a welcome basket of fruit!
I look at the room service menu, order a light meal and unpack while I’m waiting. Then I sort out the Wi-Fi connections for my laptop and plug my phone and tablet in to recharge overnight. I also drop Geoff a quick email to let him know I arrived safely as it’s too late to call him.
And so to bed!
By 9pm, the time difference is catching up with me. I decide to have an early night as I want to be fresh in the morning. My plan is to do some sightseeing before going to the Conference Centre. I need to go there in the early afternoon to rehearse and see the room. The first event is then tomorrow evening with a Welcome Reception and Cocktail party. After the rehearsal, I’ll have a short nap to make sure jetlag doesn’t catch up with me in the evening.
I snuggle down in my comfortable bed and drift off to sleep thinking how lucky I am to be here.
Creating a vision of my perfect day has been fun. While it may bother others, I love travelling and the airports, arriving somewhere new, public speaking, and staying in hotels! Bliss!!!
