Live the dream: dreams into action

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain

Dreams are the starting point for everything people have created and if we wish to be successful then we should begin by writing them all down to make a dream list. These dreams can be in any area e.g. health, education, career, home, relationships, finance etc. and it doesn’t matter how many there are or in what order. If the dreams are connected in some way then it can help to group them together.

The second stage is to give each a score out of ten for how desirable they are and then rank them in order from the most important down to the least important. This task may not be easy but it is very important to ensure that those at the top of the list merit their high ranking position.

The third stage is to take your top ranking dream and examine it carefully. Will it bring a significant change to your life; is it achievable; and, are you highly motivated and prepared to devote yourself to it? If your answer is ‘No’, then move onto the second choice dream and ask the same questions etc. Otherwise, stay with your number 1 dream which should be challenging but also have a realistic chance of success.

All the other dreams should be placed safely in a drawer until you have achieved your top ranked dream. The reason for only focussing on one dream at a time is that aiming to achieve two or more will dilute your efforts and make it less likely that you will be successful in either of them. Of course, if they are small dreams from near the bottom of your list then it may be possible to squeeze an extra one into your schedule, but be careful, even small dreams demand time and energy.

All the elements which are required to successfully achieve the dream should be carefully identified, placed in sequential order and given a completion deadline. These elements, because they are smaller, will be more achievable and therefore when they are reached will encourage renewed motivation. Careful organisation and planning will provide a comprehensible overview and a route map which can be followed to the destination.

The next stage it to make your dream a part of your life so that it is with you all the time and becomes a habit. Changing your behaviour can be difficult but if you do it every day for at least a month it will then become routine and much easier. The more that it is in the forefront of your mind, the more opportunities you will encounter which will help progress on your journey.

Once the dream becomes part of your life many of the things which you encounter everyday should be assessed to see whether or not they will take you forward. For example, will it be better to go to that meeting or spend more time on something which will directly contribute to reaching the dream? Your dream is like a mission statement where you evaluate everything you do against whether or not it will help you achieve the mission. You should continually ask yourself, “Does this contribute to or hinder my progress to the dream?”

It is very important to discuss your dream with those who are close to you because most dreams require strong personal commitment and sacrifice which will impact on those around you. And, if you don’t discuss it with them and get their support it will become very difficult, if not impossible to achieve. One very big advantage of proclaiming your dream is that this public commitment results in people asking you how you are progressing. This will keep you engaged so that you stay focussed on the objective. Another advantage of telling people about your dream is that they may be able to contribute and help you on your journey. If you do not tell people they will have no awareness or opportunity to contribute to pushing forward your dream.

Practise regular visualisation of your dream. To do this find a quiet place where you can sit and think without interruption. Next, begin visualising that you have successfully achieved your dream. What does it feel like; what can you see, what are the sounds; how are other people reacting to you? Do all of this in as minute detail as possible so that you believe that it is real. Then write all these details down and keep it in a place where you see it regularly so that it reminds you of the objective. If you practice this exercise several times a week it will begin to rewire your brain so that the dream becomes ever more real.