Pursue your dreams. Reach for the stars. Take a leap of faith.
Pick your cliche; we’ve heard them all before. Our minds are flooded with motivational proclamations and anecdotes about following our dreams and accomplishing our goals in life. And inspired we are! We hear romantic stories all of the time that get our blood pumping and compel us to do whatever it is that we always wanted to do. We read the book; we watch the movie; we hear the song on the radio. And we get excited. We’re going for it this time for sure!
And yet, most of us never move a muscle. We feel compelled to pursue our goals but can’t seem to get past the compulsion. Our hearts are filled with wishes and dreams, but our feet are paralyzed with uncertainty. Great, we have a dream! What do we do with it?
It’s time to stop dreaming and start living; here’s how to do it:
#1. Dare to Dream
No, I’m not being redundant. To achieve a dream, you have to first be willing to dream it. Some people never get this far. What about you? Do have the courage to dream? Or, are you constantly telling yourself, “That’ll never happen?” You can’t reach a goal that you don’t have. And it’s much easier to drift through life aimlessly than it is to risk suffering the pain and disappointment of failure. But, are you willing to go beyond “easy” to realize a dream? That’s where it starts. Having a dream is table stakes for dream-fulfillment.
#2. Get a Guide
You don’t have to do it alone. It is your dream, but there are many who will be willing to help you achieve it. All you have to do is ask. Who have you adopted as your guide? Even if you do know where you’re going, a second perspective is always useful. It can be a family member, friend, teacher, coach, or manager. Find someone who knows the way and enlist them for help. You won’t regret it!
#3. Leave Your Tower
To make your dreams come true, you’ve got to get started.
Eventually, you need to move from the realm of thinking to the realm of doing. You need to make a “no turning back” decision that sets you in the direction of accomplishing your goals. Have you taken the initial step? Or, are you still stuck in your tower dreaming? Nothing will ever happen until you get started. You’ve got to get out of your comfort zone and burn the bridge leading back to it. Break off the unhealthy relationship you’re in. Buy an expensive set of paints for your first masterpiece. Quit your job. Do something that sends the signal that you are serious and you’re not turning back.
#4. Shun Criticism
Cynics will abound. For every person willing to help you, there will be a hundred telling you why you can’t or shouldn’t go after your dreams. In fact, this is why many people don’t ever try–because they don’t want to disappoint others. Who is holding you back? Is it your parents? Friends? Colleagues? No matter who it is, you must learn to disregard anything they say that discourages you from your pursuit. In seeking to accomplish your goals, you will disappoint people. You have to live with that. But the real question is whether or not you’re disappointing yourself. No one else is living your life but you. Thrive on encouragement, and wash criticism off like the filth that it is.
#5. Face the Ruffians
If you aren’t doing what scares you, you aren’t doing enough. Challenges will await you as you pursue your dream and, if your fear outweighs your desire to succeed, you aren’t going to get anywhere. You have to be willing to take risks. Ask someone out. Display your work at the local art gallery. Give a presentation to a prospective employer. Do something scary. If there is no opportunity to fail, then there really is no opportunity to succeed. To make progress, you’ve got to face your fears. When you do, you’ll find that the “ruffians” aren’t quite as intimidating as you imagined them to be.
#6. Enjoy the Journey
The process of fulfilling your dream shouldn’t be a chore; it should be an adventure. There will be obstacles, yes, but you can still have fun along the way. The realization of your dream will last for a moment while the journey to realize it can be rather lengthy. Don’t waste that time in frustration; enjoy yourself. What about you? Are you having fun yet? Or, are you tired and burnt out from your journey? Determination is one thing; exasperation is something else entirely. Stress is a dream-killer. If you don’t love the journey taken to realize it, the actual fulfillment of your dream won’t mean as much. You’ll find yourself questioning whether or not it was worth the trouble. So, do yourself a favor and have a little fun.
#7. Find a New Dream
What happens when you actually achieve your dream? What then? What if it isn’t all that you dreamed it would be? And what if it is? What do you do after you’ve already attained that which you’ve been wishing for your entire life? At this point, you’ve got to find another dream.What will your new dream be? Once you’ve accomplished what you set out to do, what will you do then? If you don’t develop a new ambition, you’ll be sticking yourself back into a tower all over again. You see, life isn’t about one huge success; it’s about a series of successes. The successful person is the one who never stops pursuing dreams. You’ve achieved your dream? Great! Now, what’s next?
Dreaming is great. But nothing really happens until you wake up. Are you ready to wake up and do something? Are you willing to put in the work it takes to be successful? If so, what are you waiting for? The realization of a dream awaits you
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