It’s been a year since my last post (14 months, to be exact), and I am happy to be back. I stopped posting and “disappeared” from social media to pursue my two “scariest” goals on the list: divorce and moving into a new house. I prayed for this and worked on these two goals for a long seven years, but with no results. In 2024, I paused, put everything aside, and focused only on making my dreams a reality.

In case you also try to make your dream come true for years, but the dream is still out of reach, I hope the tips I share below will be helpful. Here are the things that made a difference in my journey from dreaming to living it.

1. Clear vision

In one of my latest posts, I shared my new “manifesting” experiment, and implementing it gave me the breakthrough. I now understand manifesting as the best tool for getting clarity. At the end of 2023, practicing it in a new way (see my post here), I had a big Aha moment. I could finally see what I want my life to be and what my heart is craving for (my legacy project, which I shared here).

Preparing the visuals, prints, and arranging them inside my agenda, I realized that if I want to make my dreams a reality, I need to take care of the biggest problem first. I needed to be free from the relationship that was draining me and blocking all aspects of my life.

2. Strong visuals

They say you need to focus on WHAT and the HOW will follow. I made a guided meditation to see myself in 5-10 years, and it helped me to close my eyes and “live” inside my dream. I could feel the smell of the flowers, could hear the wind playing with my hair while I was standing and watching the sunset on the balcony. It felt so good to be there. When I opened my eyes, I was ready to do all it takes to make my dreams a reality, no matter how scary and impossible they seemed.

Pinterest is my favorite place to find strong visual images to manifest = being laser-focused on what I am working on.

What is a strong visual? It is not just a beautiful photo. It is a photo that represents what you want in a way that gives you butterflies in the stomach and makes your heart skip a beat. The strong visuals help you to focus on what you want to achieve, not get distracted by life, events, and all the shiny things life throws at you. They help not to lose hope on a bad day and believe that what you want is possible. Even when everyone else tells you that it is not possible.

3. Mindset

If even you don’t believe in it, who else will?

The difference between rich and poor, dreamers and doers, is in a mindset, not in a wallet, in luck, or a bank account.

Coming from a very scarcity mindset environment, I worked hard for years to practice an abundant mindset. There are many books, podcasts, and programs on this subject. You can find resources that make the most sense and improve your mindset.

Below are 3 books that literary changed my life because they changed my mindset about money, personal development, and goal-setting.

“Smart Women Finish Rich” by David Bach. A must-have for domestic and personal finances. I discovered this author watching Oprah, and this book helped me fight compulsive shopping habits and get my finances in order. I read this book every year and always find new tips on improving my finances and building a solid financial foundation.

“Girl, Stop Apologizing” by Rachel Hollis. You will cry, you will laugh, you will fall in love with her! Golden advice on personal development and goal achievement.

“Be Useful. Seven Tools for Life” by Arnold Schwarzenegger. A kind reminder that there is no magic pill, shortcut, or overnight success. Hard work, discipline, and commitment – this is the secret sauce for success. Very inspiring and easy to read.

And of course, testimonials of those who did it.

These are so helpful! If I did not know that there is light on the other side after you cross “the road through hell”, I would not have the courage to make the first step.

Sidenote – Rachel Hollis’ podcast is one of the best helpers I’ve got on my way. It is free and you will find there so many interesting discussions, interviews, and personal development tips straight to the point.

4. Start before you are ready

Start before you are ready, before you have money, skills, connections, knowledge, and [fill in any other excuse you have]. You do not need to do giant, life-changing steps. Baby steps are ok.

Here are a few examples: I did some research and found a few divorce lawyers that seemed to be a good choice in 2023. Then searched for the reviews from the people who used their services. Then made a list of questions I had.

In 2024, I called each studio and asked them for the service price, terms, and conditions.

It took me 3 months to choose the lawyer and have an offer on hand to proceed. Another two months to get the courage to ask my ex-husband for a divorce. That was a very tough conversation. And as you can see, it did not happen overnight.

One month after the conversation, we were officially separated. By Italian laws, you have to be separated for at least 6 months before applying for a divorce. I started 2025 as a free woman and cannot be prouder of it.

And for the new house, it felt even more impossible. At the moment of the divorce, I had no money, no savings, a car loan, an average salary, and three kids to care for. Everyone around me was sure that no bank would ever give me a loan for 100% of the property’s worth with this financial situation.

I found the way.

5. Focus on one goal, one step at a time

This was the new thing I tried. I heard it so many times, but never believed that it could literary change EVERYTHING. To avoid being distracted and the temptation to multitask, I put a strong visual on my phone and PC lock screen, print it in many copies, and carry it everywhere I go. This way I see it many times throughout the day, and this helped me to keep going. To keep doing at least one tiny thing every day to get closer to where I want to be. Even if it is just to type in Google search or to ask for the price.

When this goal or step was achieved, I placed the next visual on my phone and repeated the above.

6. You don’t have to do it all alone

There are two kinds of people. For one kind – life is hard and everything is impossible. Whatever idea you share, they will immediately find at least 20 reasons why you can’t do it, have it, or achieve it.

And there are another kind of people who will ask you: “Ok, tell me more about it”, and then: “ok, let’s try to work this out”. These are your kind of people. “Yes people”.

I did not make my dream about the new house a reality by myself. I found the real estate agency in town offering the apartments that had exactly what I was looking for (hello No. 1 – clear vision!) and in the desired price range.

If you want it, schedule it.

When I was going to my first meeting with the agent, I was feeling so uncomfortable and scared. All my friends and literary all the people I knew were telling me that I am out of my mind. That I will never be able to buy my own house with the catastrophic financial situation I had at the time.

When I asked the estate agent about the credit broker, she introduced me to a young man who is a bit older than my sons. He asked me a few questions, made a few calculations, and looked at me: “Ok, let’s do this.” I could not believe what I heard. And when I left the agency, I cried.

First time in my life, I met “my people”, people who do not believe in the impossible. Working with this small but mighty team, I learned a lot, and this was another strong shift that helped me to make my dream a reality.

Find your team, your village, your people. If you do not have them around, no problem. Luckily, we live in the internet and social era. They are useful not only to find new outfits, makeup, and home decor 🙂 Use it to connect with like-minded people. And you will see how changing the environment around you, your life will start to change.

I hope my experience and resources shared in this post were helpful. You’ve got this!