Follow Your Dreams!

Everyone has a dream. A goal they want to achieve. An ambition they long to fulfill. Writing a novel, planning a trip around the World, going back to school to pursue a degree (or, a career change)...so many things. But, how do you get there? Here is a great article from ehow.com that maps out the steps for you! It has definitely inspired me :-)

Step 1. Define what you want. That is, what YOU want. Your dreams should not reflect what society says you should want, what your mother wants you to want or what your best friends pressure you to want. Your dreams are your dreams, so get clear about what dreams really are yours.

Step 2. Get honest. Assess the current circumstances of your life with an objective, honest eye. Truly how far away are you from achieving your dreams? Be brutal, but don’t beat yourself up or wallow when you realize that you are farther than you may have thought. The more honest you are, the better equipped you will be to take the steps needed to reach your dream. If you sugarcoat or ignore the facts of your current reality, you will continue to live in a delusional bubble, and if you continue to live in a delusional bubble, you will not be able to see clearly the work that lies ahead. Achieving dreams requires a whole lot of honesty and a whole lot of hard work.

Step 3. Look long, step short. You will not reach your goals in one giant step. It takes small steps to get where you want to be. That said, even as you take those small steps, you must keep your eyes focused on the big goal. Don’t let your eyes wander to lesser goals or stare too long at obstacles. Keeping your eyes on your big goal will move your momentum forward.

Step 4. Trust the process. Even if do keep your eyes on your big goal and continue to take small steps to get there, the path to your dreams will not go in a direct line. In fact, that path won’t always be forward moving. You will take lateral steps, circular steps and even big, disappointing, regressive steps. These steps may appear to be taking you nowhere, but they are part of the process of achieving your dreams. Every successful, satisfied person will tell you that the process is a messy one.

Step 5. View roadblocks as test of your will, not as dead ends. Do whatever it takes to climb over those roadblocks; do not turn around and retreat.

Step 6. Get happy with now, right now. I believe in working steadily and steadfastly toward achieving our dreams. To me, this process is one of the things that keeps us dynamically engaged in life. That being said, if you think that achieving your dreams is the ticket that will bring you eternal happiness, then your thinking is flawed. Happiness should be with you now, not only with the attainment of some distant dream. If you aren’t happy now, figure out how to be happy now. Do it right now!

Step 7. Remember: If you strive for your dreams, something will happen. You may not accomplish those dreams in the exact way that you had planned, but you will accomplish something. If you give up on your dreams, nothing will happen. Taking action toward your goals--no matter the outcome--is always better than remaining stagnant.