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Thoughts For Thursday: Watching A Dream Come True

July 14, 2011 · 44 comments

in Thoughts For Thursday, Work

As a natural chatterbox, I have talked to many people over the years.  In these conversations I have noticed that some people have a lot of  bad days.  Perhaps they don’t like their job, their marriage, where they live, etc.   Then there are those that I have talked to that have a lot of good days.  Nothing seems to get these happy people down for long.  Maybe they have a fantastic family life, great job, financial security, or were just  blessed with a sunny disposition, who knows?  One thing that people on both ends of the spectrum have in common though is they both (usually) have dreams.  Whether people are happy or bitter, they still usually have a goal for the future they would like to attain.  Maybe the angry person envisions themselves just walking away from everything and moving to South America.  Maybe the happy person wants to spend 6 months a year traveling the world.

Why do some people realize their dreams and others do not?

Through my writing, I have met a lot of people.  One person that I have talked to a lot and has become a great friend is Crystal at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff.  We both started blogging at about the same time, so we experienced similar frustrations and also small victories together.  However, as time went on, Crystal found she REALLY loved everything about blogging.  She realized pretty early on that she wanted to quit her 9-5 office job, and make blogging her career.

I then sat back and watched Crystal’s plan unfold.  She started with just one website, and now has four (I think).  Crystal found ways to make money in blogging that never even crossed my mind.  She created a Blog Carnival and sold it for a nice profit, manages advertising for other blogs, is a staff writer for other websites- her empire just keeps growing and growing.

Even though Crystal found success early on, she was smart.  She and her husband laid out a plan of what financial goals needed to be reached before she would quit.  It couldn’t  just be “make some money for a month or two, count on making at least that amount forever, and then march in your boss’s office with a smile on your face and quit”.    Instead, they wanted to accumulate a certain amount of money as a safety net, and also make sure the empire could generate at least a specific income for a certain period of time..

Hard Work Pays Off!

On Wednesday, Crystal did walk into her boss’s office and gave her 2 week notice.  How absolutely liberating that must have felt.  I will not go into to detail about what financial goals were met, as you can read it at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff.  However, I have to say I am incredibly happy for her.

What has been so fascinating to me is watching someone take a small idea, formulate a plan, and make a dream come true.  How often do you get to see that happen?  So often, people are unhappy with their lives, but are afraid to make a change.  Not Crystal.  She started a hobby, got hooked, and created a whole new career for herself, all within 18 months!  It wasn’t easy either.  She worked tirelessly over that period of time, I am not sure she ever slept.

You Can Do It Too

I am not saying that everyone can go quit their job and make a new career for themselves online.  What I am saying is that you can make a change for the better.  If you really do hate your job, sit down and think about what you need to do.  Do you need to update your resume or just change your perspective on your current job?   No matter what your dreams are, don’t just let them be dreams. Start making them be a reality.  Don’t think you can’t focus on a goal just because it can’t happen tomorrow.  Sit down, talk with your significant other, and make some plans.  Each small step you accomplish toward that goal brings you that much closer to your ultimate dream.  You never know what you may learn along the way.  Maybe your dream will change and evolve, who knows?

In the end, your future belongs to you.  You can decide to keep plugging along each day, just getting by.  Or, you can create your own destiny.  Picture yourself ten years from now, do you want to see yourself exactly as you are today with maybe some more gray hair? Or, would you like to see a happier or maybe more fulfilled version of yourself?

Finally, I just want to congratulate Crystal, who has accomplished a lot in such a short period of time.  She has been an inspiration to many and has shown that just about anything is possible!

 

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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }

No Debt MBA July 14, 2011 at 9:36 am

Actions totally speak louder than words. I have to admire that Crystal didn’t just say she wanted to quit her job, she put her nose to the grindstone, worked ridiculous hours, and was super organized in executing her plan. I find that I often get stuck at the complaining or talking stage of an idea and can’t make the jump to just doing it, much less doing it well and with passion and effort. I think a lot of people struggle with that. Crystal’s a great example of taking a plan to fruition.

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 10:33 pm

I think one thing that was really smart was that she wrote about her plans, and probably felt accountable to her audience too. (I think accountability is so important to help keep you on track.)

She is super organized and I think she maximized every spare minute in her life.

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:12 pm

I so totally felt accountable! It would be as embarrassing as heck to fail in front of everybody who was rooting for me…

I just hope I don’t start resting on my laurels. 🙂

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MoneyCone July 14, 2011 at 11:15 am

Totally agree! I’ve been fascinated by the Crystal’s progress! One factor that stood out was Crystal’s creativity *and* the followup to bring it to fruition! My best wishes to Crystal!

Thanks for highlighting this ‘feel-good’ success story Kris!

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 10:32 pm

I was amazed by her creativity. She kept coming up with new ways to make money and attain her ultimate goal. Very impressive for someone that started blogging 18 months ago.

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:12 pm

Awww, thank you MoneyCone and Kris!

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Money Reasons July 14, 2011 at 12:56 pm

Solid Steel focus and determination! Crystal carved out a place in the online world with all the best talents of a great entrepreneur! Very impressive…

Me, I don’t have quite the same level of drive as Crystal. She does inspire me though…

Nice writeup!

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 10:31 pm

I think what is so impressive is she zeroed in on what she wanted, and she made it happen, come hell or high water. How many people can say that? Not many.

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:14 pm

I’m not special. I never pursued anything this hard before. I just really loved blogging and really disliked my day job. Those are motivating factors. 🙂

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retirebyforty July 14, 2011 at 1:11 pm

Congratulation to Crystal again!
If you don’t like the situation you’re in, make a plan and work on getting out of that hole. Don’t just complain! 🙂

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 10:30 pm

Isn’t it frustrating to hear someone complain about the same thing over and over??

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:15 pm

Hahaha. You all “met” me last year…I was complaining long before that and never did anything about it. 🙂 We all have trouble with follow-through until we get a kick in the pants, right?

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Nicole July 14, 2011 at 1:30 pm

Another important thing to note with Crystal is that she and her husband are really keeping their expenses down– living under your means and having healthy savings allows a LOT more freedom. It’s a good example of how you can really take control of your life if you spend less and work hard. Very awesome.

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 10:15 pm

Having common goals with your spouse is so important, and makes life much easier. Good points!

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:16 pm

Yep, we have low expenses and I wasn’t making much at my day job anyway. 🙂 It’s much easier to replace a $35,000 income than a $60,000 one, hahaha.

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Financial Samurai July 17, 2011 at 11:15 am

Still, it is a great goal to have and quite an accomplishment! There’s a post called “The Curse Of Making Too Much Money And Not Following Your Dreams”…. it really is a curse if you make too much!

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Crystal @ BFS July 17, 2011 at 1:58 pm

LOL, then I was very blessed! 🙂

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Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager July 14, 2011 at 3:33 pm

I’m so glad that Crystal is able to make her dream come true. Hopefully everyone can experience whatever their dream is at some point in their life. Just gotta work hard for it!

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 10:14 pm

Very true Jenna. Hard work is a huge part of success in every facet of life. Her methodical plan made a huge difference too I think, along with a supportive spouse.

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:17 pm

Totally. My husband’s been amazing. Really, really amazing.

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:10 pm

Holy crud! Kris, you are amazing. You are so supportive. Do you have any idea how much you have pushed me along? Without you, transferring from Blogger to Wordpress last year would have ended my very short career. You also single-handedly motivated me to make great plugin changes and rescued me from my own mistakes too many times to count. Remember my Google Analytics coding fiasco?

I did not succeed on my own. My success is just as much yours and everybody else’s that has helped or supported me along the way. Thank you. Seriously, this is not false humility, thank you. I would not have made it this far without you.

Now I’m all teary-eyed…thank you so much.

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 11:33 pm

Well, thank you Crystal, but you did the work. You came up with the creative ways to make money, you set up a plan with Mr. BFS, and you made it all happen. I was just there for some technical advice! 🙂

Congratulations, you deserve it!

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Crystal @ BFS July 14, 2011 at 11:55 pm

“some technical advice” and a heck of a lot of emotional support!

Thanks for the congrats!!! I’ll be walking on air tomorrow after work, lol. I apparently only have to go in for a few hours, woot!!! More blogging time! 😀

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Kris July 14, 2011 at 11:59 pm

I wish I could meet you for a drink! Beer by skype? 🙂

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Crystal @ BFS July 15, 2011 at 8:24 am

Beer for you and wine cooler for me by Skype. 😉

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Ken @ Spruce Up Your Finances July 15, 2011 at 12:09 am

Very true. It is really nice to quit our jobs and go with the online business full-time and it is also nice to have a safety net such as a working spouse with health benefits that can cover you as well. I think Crystal has really worked hard to achieve this and congratulations to her. It’s nice to see someone you know (virtual/online world) finally make it a reality!

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Crystal @ BFS July 15, 2011 at 8:24 am

Thank you Ken. 🙂 And yes, it is a blessing to be able to get my health insurance through hubby now…

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Kris July 16, 2011 at 5:27 pm

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a group health plan available to those that make their living online? Then single people could earn money that way and not have to worry about relying on a spouse to get benefits.

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Crystal @ BFS July 17, 2011 at 2:00 pm

That would be awesome! Worst case, if my husband loses his job, we can afford high-deductible private insurance – I just rather avoid that if possible.

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First Gen American July 15, 2011 at 7:23 am

What a great article and also a fabulous story. Let’s not forget that Crystal did this despite the fact that a lot of people were saying there was no money in blogging…ie, the per hour rate is too low to justify trying to do it as a career.

Another great lesson is to sometimes ignore the naysayers and find out for yourself what’s true vs what’s just an urban legend.

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Crystal @ BFS July 15, 2011 at 8:26 am

I am pretty sure it isn’t the best way to handle it, but I usually stop hanging around with naysayers. I am generally a peppy person, so Debbie Downers and I can’t usually get along, lol.

Thank you for all of your support over the last year too Sandy. I love all of my blogging buddies!!!

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Kris July 16, 2011 at 5:24 pm

Oh my gosh, naysayers drive me crazy. I have stepped away from almost all of the naysayers in my life over time, and things are so much better. Some people would much rather just say something isn’t possible than actually try and make it work.

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Crystal @ BFS July 17, 2011 at 2:03 pm

Exactly!

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Buck Inspire July 15, 2011 at 8:42 pm

Awesome write up Kris and kudos again to Crystal! Nice to see a dream come true. Very warm and fuzzy. I don’t think anyone is surprised. From the get go, everyone saw her passion. Inspiring story and can’t wait for the next chapter!

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Kris July 16, 2011 at 5:10 pm

Buck, it is an awesome story, isn’t it? People can make their dreams come true with hard work, knowledge, and a supportive spouse doesn’t hurt either!

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Crystal @ BFS July 17, 2011 at 2:04 pm

Awww, thank you Buck!!! Maybe I was the only one that wasn’t so sure? 🙂

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Paula @ AffordAnything.org July 16, 2011 at 3:17 pm

I just read Crystal’s post announcing that she’s becoming a full-time blogger, and I’m so happy for her. Hooray for anyone who lives their ultimate dreams!! It takes courage, hard work and confidence, and I love that Crystal is such a great role model.

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Kris July 16, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Crystal has taught a lot of people that just about anything can be accomplished if you set your mind to it, that is for sure!

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Crystal @ BFS July 17, 2011 at 2:05 pm

I have never been called a role model before – that is just too nice! Thank you so much for the kind words!!!

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Financial Samurai July 17, 2011 at 11:15 am

I enjoyed the journey too of Crystal’s. It seems planning and setting goals where instrumental in making things happen!

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Crystal @ BFS July 17, 2011 at 2:06 pm

Definitely. Without my schedules and public goals, I would not have been able to stay on track. I’m making new public goals all the time now so I don’t get lazy. 🙂

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