Achieving your dreams

Dream big.  I mean really BIG.  When you have dreams, you have something to work towards and achieve.  Knowing what you want also helps you build your map on how to get there.

Unfortunately, I think sometimes finding the ‘dream’ is the hardest part for everyone.  It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the day-day. Taking care of the kids, working, cleaning the house, running errands, etc.  Some people, myself included, also have what can be known as ‘shiny ball syndrome’.  Meaning, we get excited about something and quickly, sometimes too quickly actually, before we even scratch the surface, we get excited about something else, which leads to this never-ending circle of achieving very little (or gulp, nothing).

Phew.  That said, time to focus.  For people like me who get easily distracted, I have some advice that has helped me along the way (disclaimer, this is my own experience and I make no promises it will work for you too, but hey why not give it a try anyway?).

Come up with your BIG dreams.  Write them down.  Prioritize them – What do YOU want the most?  What makes YOU happy?  What do YOU enjoy? Once you have your list, tackle ONE dream at a time.  I mean it, stop trying to be the juggler.  Just focus – only one.  And make sure it is the TOP one you listed that means the most.

Now you have your first assignment.  Look at that dream and think about what it will take to get there.  Figure out what the milestones might be to get there and put dates to it.  Now you have structure and a plan to actually achieve what is important to you.  Even better now that you have milestones, you have mini celebrations to help you stay motivated as you cross them off, getting that sense of accomplishment along the way instead of just at the end (hint, this is important!).

Keep in mind, you can’t just make the plan and expect it to be absolute.  Instead, be sure to check on your map often, make tweaks and adjustments as much as necessary, because reality is that as you move through your action plan things will change and so your plan will have to as well.  If you don’t adjust accordingly, your plan has a greater risk of failure which will only make you feel like you’re back in the same day-day circle, never getting anywhere.

Stay focused, adjust course as needed and let this new journey take you to the place you want to be.  And don’t forget to enjoy the ride along the way!