Over the years I have noticed that the things I have failed in are the things
I have not thought out. I have started projects in the past and got
really enthusiastic and then the enthusiasm dies. I have analysed the
failures and discovered that I used to get the whiff of an idea and then go
for it all guns blazing without thinking about it.
Now the first thing I do is think about the outcome, I think about the end of the project and work back.
I was speaking with someone last week who is very impulsive and has all these grand ideas, a bit like me when I was younger, and he said he wanted to be a pilot. I said that was a great and ambitious plan, so we looked into it. After he saw the amount of work and possible money involved he dropped that and move onto something else, I encouraged him to go for it but he said he wanted something a little easier to obtain. He then wanted to be a professional football player.
If you can see the end of your dream and can see the outcome then the bits in-between become a little easier. For example, one of my dreams is to become a personal development speaker. The process worked like this;
- I watched Jack Black (Scottish Personal Development speaker) and said that’s the job for me. That was about 9 years ago.
- I didn’t do anything about at first, but I did read every personal development book I could.
- The dream did not die, but it was still a dream.
- 8 years later the dream was still burning a little ember in the back of my mind.
- I decided last year I would pursue this dream I had.
- I thought about the end and where it might lead, it would mean a lot of rejection at first, it would mean facing up to my fears, it would mean studying and writing a lot, it would mean perfecting the craft of speaking. I still wanted to do it.
- Then I worked back the way. A blog seemed a great way to start and would really show me if I had the commitment to do this as I would need to continue writing a blog for months maybe years before I got anything out of it.
- I am pleased with the blog and am still committed to it and have now set the wheels in motion and written a course about blogging which will give me confidence in speaking to audiences.
- Once I have the experience of speaking regularly I can develop the personal development course next year and roll it out.
I am so much closer to my goal than I was.
You’ll notice the main ingredients of this dream of mine. The dream stayed a dream until I actually moved on it and started thinking about it and doing something with it. I saw the end of the dream and what it would mean to me if I achieved it. Now the wheels are turning quite rapidly and things are starting to fall into place. So if we broke it right down the process of achieving your dreams might work like this:
- Your have to have a dream before you can achieve it.
- Think about the end and what it will mean.
- Act on the dream.
- Keep acting on it, make a call, speak to someone, do anything and keep the momentum.
- Review your dream regularly
- Achieve your dream
It’s great having dreams and little daydreams and it’s also great keeping them that way, like the daydream of winning the lottery, you know it is unlikely to happen but it’s good to daydream about it.
Now if your dream is something you really want to do, you have to act on it before you even get close to the dream. Take one step everyday to work on your dream, even if that means thinking about it. Thinking and visualising your dream is important to keep it alive. Take action steps, make phone calls, speak to someone about it, and get good at the processes in-between. Review your dream regularly, this will tell you if you are on track or if the dream is dying. If the dream dies then that’s okay, it saves you a lot of time. If the dream is still alive keeping taking the action steps until you achieve it.
You are reading this blog for a reason; why not act on that reason. Do one thing that will take you a step closer to your dream.
Want to share your dream, share it here by leaving a comment. You’ll always find someone willing to encourage you.
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About Steven Aitchison
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I think the dream is out of our reach at the very beginning,but everything needs a process, so we should stick to our dream by our action, then we will be closer than before. Oneday we will perform our dreams.
Great insights and great post. I know this may sound ridiculous… but learning about Astrology, especially Chinese Bazi astrology allows one to know a great deal more about ourselves.
I don’t remember where I read it, but there’s a quote I love that says something like: “A dream remains a dream until you take action, then it transforms into a goal.”
Congratulations on taking action, and my best wishes that you reach your goal.
PS I’m chasing mine in a similar but different way and would love to hear your thoughts. Please visit me at crystalsquest.com and comment back?
You know the funny thing about dreams, they tend to disapear into the recesses of one’s mind when we wake up.
I long to wake up for it feels like I am trapped in a dream where I have lost my memory, lost my self.
Hi Pamela
Thanks for your comments. If your dream requires skill that would be part of acting on your dream, which would, as you said, keep us motivated. Acquiring skill can be a huge motivation for us achieving our dreams.
Sania
I think speaking to other bloggers, like yourself, in the same field has been a great help.
You just described one part of my life. I think getting in contact with someone with the same dream as yours is of some aid. Actually it depends also on the personality of the person because someone without any motivation finds it hard to achieve their dreams! Hope you achieve yours! I’m sure you can do it steven!
Dreams are hard to achieve especially if it is something that requires skills and abilities that are not listed on your line. Getting motivated to do it will allow us to continue on our dreams.