Richard Bach once said, “You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.” Moreover, William Arthur Ward said, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become It.,” both these Americans understand that dreams can become reality if you believe in yourself, have the determination to plan and motivation to pursue them.
Here is an assignment to find out if your dreams are realistic, use the time - honored process of creating, defining, and executing goals. Remember dreams can change and what you want now does not mean you have to want it tomorrow, conversely by turning your dreams into goals you can determine if your dreams are worthy of pursuring and attainable.
Prior to turning your dreams into goals, remember this one thing Do Not Be Afraid! Take the advice of Anastasia Marvidou, who survived the Stalin's Russian purges in and imgrated to America at the age of 55, “It's OK to be afraid it just means you are smart. How you handle that fear is what makes you dumb.”
The maverick writer Ambrose Redmoon is regularly quoted to say, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” Remember everyone is afraid of the unknown or the untried in their lives how they handle that fear is what stops a person from making their dreams a reality.
Turning Your Dreams Into Goals
Turning your dreams into goals is a frightening process, but many great people have done just that and have achieved great things at any age! Look at Grandma Moses who was a renowned American folk artist. She is an example of an individual who successfully began a career in the arts at an advanced age. Moses began painting in her seventies after abandoning a career in embroidery because of arthritis. She had a world-renowned artistic career until her death in 1961 at the age of 101. Today many of her painting hang in major museums and galleries around the world.
To begin turning your dreams into goals, write down ALL your dreams and hopes, just start writing until you cannot think of any more hopes and dreams. This is not the time for self-editing. This is for your eyes only remember you can burn the paper after you are done and no one else need ever see it. Continue with your list without any censorship or review, let your brain flow, and empty it on the blank piece of paper.
Once you have reached the point where everything you have ever dreamed or hoped has been written down, review what you have written. Now identify, which of the dreams you would regret not having achieved on your deathbed. These are your core dreams.
Define Your Core Dreams
After defining your core dreams, now it is time to edit your list and delete anything that is unrealistic. An example of this would be the dream of becoming a size one when your body will not allow that to happen without negatively harming your health. It an unrealistic dream however making you as healthy is not. An added benefit to being healthy is a toned body always looks thinner. Sometimes dreams need tweaking. By the end of this exercise you will have you list of dreams you can do in the real world and those that are the most important to you.
Realize some dreams and hopes are just those dreams. Nothing is wrong with unattainable dreams, but by realizing which dreams are attainable, you can concentrate on those that dreams that can be achieved. The ability to dream is the one great thing that defines our humanity without dreams we could never achieve great things.
Change Your Dreams Into Goals
Change your dreams into goals. Once you have vetted your list down to the dreams you must achieve before you die. Break down each dream into tiny step goals. Let us say your dream is to be a great writer. The first step is to start writing. The second step could be the decision of what kind of writer you wished to be. You would break down each step into a mini goal until your dream goal of becoming a great writer is achieved.
Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. Aristotle the Greek Philosopher also understood the importance of making goals, “Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals. “By creating small measurable steps to your ultimate goals you increase your chance for achievement and the likelihood of success.
