Live Your Best Fabulous Life: Goal-Setting Secrets from Expert Debra Eckerling

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Debra Eckerling - Goal Strategist & Author

Hello there, Fabulous You! Ready to sprinkle a little extra sparkle onto your life? Debra Eckerling, the queen of goal-setting and author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals, sat down with me to dish out her secrets for crafting a life that's not just lived but loved and fabulous to boot!

"Well, to get what you want, you need to know what that is," Debra opens up with her go-to mantra, and it's like she's giving us the nod to daydream big. She's all about painting that picture of your ideal world—whether it's living that boss life or turning passions into paychecks.

Debra's secret sauce? The DEB Method®—it's your personal life GPS. "D stands for determine your mission, E is explore your options, and B is brainstorm your path." It's not just about slaying in the now; it's about strutting into the future with a plan. She's got you writing your 'now' bio, all about what makes your heart sing.

If you don't treat yourself like a client and give yourself that time and energy, you will build nothing.

And for the future? It's about putting it out there in the present tense—who will you be when the next birthday candles are blown out? "What does your bio in the present tense say about you, three months from now, six months from now, at the end of the year by your next birthday?" It's about manifesting the you that's just around the corner.

But here's where it gets as good as that last bite of chocolate cake: the mission statement. It's the heartbeat of your fabulous journey. Debra personalized this part for me, illustrating how it directly applies to my role as the editor of Featuring Fabulous Living. 'Your mission,' she pointed out to me, 'is to use your unique background, skills, and experience to inspire people to live a more fabulous life.' This resonated deeply with me, and it's a sentiment that each one of us can embrace. It's about discovering the 'why' behind our individual fabulousness, centered on who we are, what makes us unique, and how we can uplift others.

Then, Debra encourages you to dive into her 'directed journaling' ritual. It's a solo brainstorming session with your future self—no filters, no limits. "Go on a free-writing adventure, and don't read any of your ramblings until after you've completed the exercise." That's when you discover what truly lights your fire.

What's next? Brainstorm your path with goals—the short-term, the long-term, the easy, and those dreamy "what-ifs." Debra's all about embracing action items, benchmarks, and checklists. It's about turning that fabulous life into a to-do list you're psyched to tackle.

Now, lean in for the real gem: "If you don't treat yourself like a client and give yourself that time and energy, you will build nothing." That's Debra's way of saying, 'Hey, you're important. Act like it.' It's all about scheduling these appointments with yourself. But it's even more important to keep and treat them with respect.

So, what's the Fab Takeaway? Give yourself the time and energy to explore that fabulous life you're after. Whether it's a half-hour between coffee and emails or a Sunday morning ritual, remember, those baby steps lead to leaps and bounds.

Remember, we're the artists of our lives, painting our futures with bold strokes of ambition, love, and a fabulous flair. Thanks to Debra, we've got a roadmap to turn those dreams into a dazzling reality. Set that date with yourself and start crafting that fabulous life blueprint. It's your time to shine!

Navigating Life's Detours: Maintaining Momentum

Now that we've laid out our fabulous plans let's talk about handling the inevitable bumps on the road. Life, in its unpredictable glory, is bound to throw us some curveballs. In our chat, Debra shared how to keep our sparkle even when things get a little less than glossy.

"Create something that's going to represent so you're keeping your eye on the prize," Debra advises when envisioning our goals. It's like taking that mental image of our desires—be it writing the next award-winning screenplay or launching a start-up—and turning it into a vision board that's as bold and colorful as our ambitions. Whether it's a mock-up of our future book cover or a snapshot of the Eiffel Tower for that dream Parisian getaway, it's about making our goals as tangible as the incredible outfits we plan for them.

Debra knows it's not enough to just see where we're going; we need to track our fabulous journey. "After each appointment, note what you accomplished," she says, underscoring the importance of recognizing our strides, however small. Like jotting down the milestones in a chic planner, you're to celebrate every step with the same enthusiasm as the big leaps.

And speaking of celebration, Debra's all for it. "Little treats for little wins and victories for big wins," she declares, reminding us that every step forward is a reason to do a happy dance. The little accomplishments pave the way to our grand dreams—like getting out of bed on a tough day or whipping up a gourmet meal when takeout seems tempting.

As we merge these insights with the roadmap Debra has laid out, we see a journey marked not by the destination alone but by the joy of travel itself. It's about recognizing the 'win' in everyday achievements and understanding that the path to fabulous is as much about the journey as the endpoint.

Debra leaves us with a reminder to be gentle with ourselves, to set realistic milestones, and to savor the small victories. "You can accomplish anything with enough time, education, and persistence. But be realistic about it and have the little wins," she imparts.

So here we are, equipped with Debra's wisdom, ready to tackle our goals with a blend of realism and optimism. We've learned to treat ourselves like VIPs, honor the appointments we set with ourselves, and celebrate every victory along the way.

With these pearls of wisdom strung together, we continue to craft our narrative, one remarkable chapter at a time. Now go on, mark your progress, reward your efforts, and always remember that every last bit is worth celebrating. Here's to you and your fabulous journey—may it be as unique and brilliant as you are!

Turning Aspirations into Reality: A Personal Reflection

As the editor of Featuring Fabulous Living, I've had my fair share of inspiring conversations. Still, my chat with Debra Eckerling was like flipping through a personal guidebook to turning dreams into reality. Debra, with her DEB Method, didn't just share strategies; she handed me a lantern to illuminate the path to a life as fabulous as the stories we feature on our pages.

The journey to fabulousness is profoundly personal and incredibly universal. It starts with knowing what you want, which sounds simple, but it's where many of us stumble. It's not just about acknowledging your desires but embracing them with both arms and a plan.

I've always believed that Featuring Fabulous Living should empower and inspire. Debra's wisdom echoes this sentiment. She teaches us that a fabulous life is crafted in the small moments—the daily decisions to pursue what makes us unique and the relentless pursuit of what sets our souls on fire.

Throughout our conversation, I was struck by the power of visualization and representation. I found myself sketching out a mental vision board, slotting in my goals like pieces of a beautiful and incomplete puzzle—a work in progress, much like life itself. It's about crafting a vision so compelling that it calls to you, pulling you forward through thick and thin.

But here's my personal nugget of advice: sprinkle your path with notes of celebration. Just like Debra, I believe in celebrating the small wins as if they are grand events. Why wait for the big moments when every step forward deserves its own spotlight?

So, to all my readers, I say this: Take the wisdom Debra has shared, blend it with your personal spice, and start cooking up the life you've always wanted. Write that bio, create that vision board, and make those checklists. And remember to treat yourself with the kindness and respect you'd show your dearest friend—because you, too, are on your way to somewhere spectacular.

I encourage you to set that date with yourself, to cherish every victory, and to always keep your torch lit. It's not just about reaching the destination; it's about loving the incredible journey there. Here's to our collective path to fabulousness—one that's uniquely ours and brilliantly lit with the lessons we've learned along the way. Shine on, my fabulous friends, shine on!