Does anyone else have an image of what they ideally want to strive for? Not only physically, but anything, really?

Like for me...

- Masters Degree. probably a CRNA so I can be well paid.

- By a fixer-upper big house and design it all. hardwood floors, 3 bedrooms, a few bathrooms with a giant master bath with a wirlpool tub and a crazy cool open shower on one end... I want a large wrap around porch, a high privacy fence and a swing hanging from a tree.

- I want a kid to nurture and teach, to show the world and provide a great life experience for.

- I want a Honda Element or a Jeep Wrangler. (seriously, i can have any dream car in the world, and thats what i want!! haha!)

- I want to reach my goal weight and stay there!!!!!

- I want to teach somewhere... something. Dancing, maybe?

.... what are your big hopes and goals?

I want to finish highschool, go to college for something that I will end up liking... I was thinking something like addiction counselor. I want to be super healthy, I want to be able to jog for more than 50 seconds, I want to find me a man to love me no matter what I look like.... I want a lot. Baby steps though, I'm dieting, started working out, and going to school to finish my hs diploma. The rest can come later

Ideally.. this is what I'm working/hoping for after 5 years.
I would be starting out in secure career as a lawyer, not criminal law but something like real estate or environment law.
I'd have graduated from an excellent law school, my heart's set on Rutgers Law or Seton Hall Law...
I want to be living in a nice apartment across from NY with my boyfriend and hopefully by then my mom would accept him.. it would be 9 years together by then anyway..
Of course, I'll be at goal and have maintained it the whole time.. =P

I want to find my soulmate/best friend - Marry him - and have healthy children.
One day.....one day! I hope so anyway. I hope theres ONE out there for me!

I already did the law school thing. I practiced civil rights and anti-discrimination law before my current vocation as the Executive Director of a charitable foundation that helps kids with special needs expand and increase their educational opportunities. Running a non-profit has been my dream since I was in college so that side of life is pretty darn good.

I met my soulmate when we were 19. We have been together for 18 years and married for 14. We have three gorgeous boys...and our house has hardwoods. I wish we had a view of the water -- someday we will, and sometimes I wish I'd had a little girl, but there is something to be said for hand-me-downs.

I'm within four pounds of goal and six pounds from my pre-baby weight. I just got into the Size 4 jeans I bought a couple of weeks ago -- five months and down 12 sizes.

I WOULD like to finish the novel I'm writing, and I would like a publisher to accept it. I would like my sons to grow up to be productive, healthy, strong, smart, funny and a million other things. I would like my husband to work less hard and not miss his children's childhood -- although I am currently listening to him read our eldest his bedtime story, and I realize that he is here when it counts.

Mostly though, my life is good, and it is satisfying...and I feel so very lucky.

I want to conquer my sewing machine issues; learn to sew properly and become a beter designer. ( I think I am a fabulous designer with mad skills already in the design department, but I seem to break all sewing machines I touch. )

I also hope my husband can stay in the Navy a bit longer and we can add on to our little family.

I want to be happy with what I do, regardless of what that is.

I want to graduate college , i'm a sophomore in college and 27. I have 2 beautiful kids and i'm married, but i'm ready to finish college. i'm going to school to be r.d. I hope that when i'm finished i will have a job i love.

That is a good ideal! Me too i just want to be happy!

- I want to travel the world with my husband.

- I want to take care/provide for animals. This may even turn up to be a career later in life.

- Eat healthy, feel good, feel strong and get to my goal weight and stay there.

- I would probably change my current career immediately if money/time were no issues but a career change would take money, would take time and would cause a cut in my pay, at least in the short term.

- Ideally I'd live where I wouldn't need a car. If money were no object and commuting to work was not an issue, I'd live in a townhome/row house with a small yard in the city and wouldn't have a car. If I do have to have a car, I'd have a small, functional, fuel efficient car.

Right now...to lose the weight and keep it off!

My "ideal" life/self?

- Married to some incredibly hot man who only has eyes for me, and he cooks and helps clean too!

- A few beautiful children of my own running around.

- Continued happiness within my career.

- Living in my idea of a dream home with my own family.

- Traveling the world for weeks or even months at a time once I retire. (That's only about 20 or so years away! Dang.)

I want to go back to university and get my masters degree in counselling.

I'd like to eventually marry my bf (I'm in no hurry for that one!). Build our dream house (net zero, LEED residential with TWO master bathrooms - the two of us cannot share a bathroom, and a georgeous kitchen and backyard).

Have two healthy children.

Travel the world...

I haveta to admit that life is pretty good right now (except for the extra pounds, but i"m working on that), I have a beautiful home, a great bf, a job I like, good friends and wonderful parents. All I could ask for is more money!

Good question!

Careerwise, I have no idea. I'm the epitome of the phrase, "Jack of All Trades, Master of None." I guess that's why I had such a god-awful time trying to decide on a career and still ended up in the wrong. Tried to do the Project Managment thing because I'm a super organizer, but a string of clients that had no idea what they wanted, along with Sales promising things that couldn't be delivered made me rethink that career. Switched to law, since I've always had an interest in that, but that meant a major paycut since I had to start as a Legal Secretary. Lawyer money would be great, but I want a life (ugh Billable Hours) so I think I would be happy to be a Paralegal, especially in IP Prosecution. Dorks galore - I'd fit right it!

That's the realistic career "ideal self". Completely out of this world "ideal self" would entail a career as Travel Writer (I love to travel and write) or Bed and Breakfast Owner/Operator (I love to take care of people - feeding, hosting, etc.)

The completely out of this world "ideal self" would also live in a house of her own design. I can't really narrow down the type, but it would have fireplaces, hardwood floors (with radiant heating, uuuummmmm toasty toes!), a huge kitchen with double ovens and lots of counter space with a huge white porcelain farmhouse sink with a window over it, deep clawfoot tubs in all of the bathrooms (I have a whirlpool and I HATE it! I'm a neat freak and there is absolutely NO way to keep those things clean, especially the jets, ick!), and a sleeping porch (I'm not a huge fan of the recirculated A/C air) The location would be a toss up, waterfront would be ideal, but wooded with a stream running through the property would be great too. Although, I've never been to the desert so I wouldn't know how that would be, and Adobe houses are beautiful.

See what I mean? I have no idea!

The only thing that is concrete about my "ideal self" is that she is not quite as heavy as the "current self."

Have a job that I love and not one that I do everyday just for the money and finish my degree (i'm a sophomore).