You Cannot Achieve Your Dreams; Here’s Why
Many people go through life never having achieved their dreams, while some others achieve everything they set out to do. And if you’re reading this you probably have things you want to accomplish and may not be too fired up being told you can’t. “You CANNOT achieve your dreams” sounds harsh, until you understand why.
So why wouldn’t you be able to accomplish your dreams? What’s the difference between the people who achieve their dreams and those who do not?
Why do some people achieve their vision while the dreams of others die with them? There are a couple of things actually, but there’s one that’s fundamental.
When you wake up from a dream, what happens?
If you’re like the rest of us you get up, brush your teeth, take a shower, and head to work (you may or may not have breakfast). You rarely think about what you dreamed about during your busy day, and by the next morning, we’ve forgotten all about it. We don’t make time to keep track of our dreams. Dreams live and die in our minds.
On the other hand, when you wake up in the morning with a goal in mind, you have what you want to achieve that day. You think about it several times during the day and keep track of it. Goals exist in the real world.
So how do you achieve your dreams? You transform them into goals. But what’s the difference (you’re probably thinking that). Goals are things you want to achieve, so are dreams, right? Well, there are big differences. Here’s some:
- Goals are specific
“I want to be rich” is a wish.
“I want to make $100,000 in 12 months” is a goal.
Goals involve a specific result, within a specified time period.
2. Goals require a plan of action
A goal usually comes with plans and strategies to achieve it. You know what you need to do to get to where you want to be. Do goals automatically come with a manual for how to achieve them? No. You have to create one; that’s part of the process of transforming your wish into a goal. And if your goal doesn’t have a plan of action then it’s still a wish.
3. Goals are trackable
Because of the specific nature of a goal, you can track where you are on your journey. How do you track how far you have come on your journey to “be rich?” You can’t. But you can track your progress on your journey to $100,000 in a year.
4. Goals require effort
Wishing for things does not require effort; however, striving to achieve your goal requires discipline, sacrifice, and maximum effort. If you don’t try you will never achieve anything.
So how do you transform your dream into a goal?
· Write it down
Congratulations, you just took your intangible thought and made it tangible. Writing down our goals is a way to remind ourselves that they exist and it’s something we can always refer to, in case we forget. But you’re not done yet?
· Create a plan of action
Think about how you can achieve this goal, in the real world where the laws of physics, biology, and chemistry apply. In other words, be realistic about your abilities and the resources at your disposal.
· Set a time frame
Ask yourself, “When do I want to achieve this? How long would it realistically take me — not others — to achieve a goal of this magnitude?” Always be honest and fair. We’d all like to make $100,000 in a month but unfortunately, we might not be able to; at least not yet.
· Take stock of your abilities, resources, and limitations
Be prepared for the journey ahead. Know what you can do, what you can’t do and what you can just “sorta” do. This way you know if you need help (and you almost always do).
· Break down your plan into daily tasks
Achieving your goals doesn’t happen all at once (we’re working not falling in love). It’s a daily journey that requires consistency, devotion, and sacrifice (oddly enough, all the things that love requires). Creating daily tasks also helps you manage the workload that comes with every goal.
· Wrap up all the minor details
This is when any other minor detail gets taken care of. If you have traditions or fetishes you carry out before embarking on any quests, now would be the time to do them. Maybe do a rain dance, or sprinkle salt over your shoulder (that sort of thing).
· Begin
At this point, it’s only logical to put your plan into action.
