How to follow your dreams
Do you know what you want to be? To truly live is to follow your heart, to realize that you can achieve your dream and be who you were meant to be. Whether you are just beginning this journey of life as a young person fresh out of elementary school or a middle-aged person, it is time to live your life.
During your life you have made one or two mistakes, and you have to live with them. However, you can overcome your past and create the future of your dreams. To do that you need to know what your dream is. Did you really want to grow up to be the night clerk at the motel or the weekend cashier at the convenience store? If so, congratulations, you don’t need to read this article. If not, then you need to remember what it was you wanted to be. Write it down and realize that it is not too late to start.
You have your dream, and you want to live it. Well, to get there, you have to take a few steps along the way. No one ever (and I mean no one) achieves their dream life by wishing. You have to work on it a little at a time. You have to progress step by step. You can’t just wish you could be the next Mr. or Miss Universe and expect your award to be mailed to you from the comfort of your couch; You have to remove the gluteus maximus and go exercise.
So you know your dream, but how do you get there? You must first solve a path. Then decide what steps to take to get there. To determine what those steps are you have to set goals. Sometimes you even have to set deadlines for those goals. Goals are just stepping stones. You set a goal to achieve something and then you set tasks to achieve that goal.
Every time you set a goal or two, at some point you find that your path has been blocked. Always research several alternative ways to reach your goal. You should do this in case the most obvious path doesn’t go all the way. Let’s say the university you wanted to attend doesn’t accept you, so you’re crushed and your dream of becoming a nuclear scientist begins to fade. So who says you had to go there? Maybe you can go to an alternative university, and the end will be the same. When you’re a nuclear scientist, do you get quoted and say you’re a nuclear scientist from Harvard or a nuclear scientist from the University of Florida? No, they just say you’re a nuclear scientist.
Be prepared to change and adapt. Have some plans ready to go. Even a vague idea of a plan is better than nothing. If plan “A” doesn’t work, have plan “B” ready to take its place. This prevents that trapped feeling you get when you realize the thing you were after has been snatched out of reach. This is similar to how people plan a road trip. You look at the map and see the different possibilities to get from point A to point B. Let’s say there’s a blizzard or construction, or it’s just blocked; you just back up a bit and resume your journey from another direction. Sometimes plan B is nicer and more appropriate for the trip than your first choice.
Systematically recheck and, as necessary, redefine your goals. It is not worth wasting time fighting to achieve a goal that no longer fits with your life. During obvious stopping points along the way, take a day to sit down and check how you’re reacting to reaching this milestone. Are you happy or relieved? Are you excited and want more? Conversely, are you scared, with slight undertones of dread or entrapment?
As you become your new self, some nervousness is to be expected. As you head in a whole new direction in your life, it’s fair to hope that not all the feelings you have are super positive. There is some mourning for the loss of his old life and growing pains in his new life. Take the time to
just have fun, to balance your priorities. Love, laugh, cry, and otherwise allow yourself to be a normal person. However, take a planned break from time to time to make sure you don’t ignore obvious warnings.
If your subconscious is screaming, “Run! Run!” then pay attention. These warnings often occur for good reasons. For example, wedding nerves are perfectly normal. While ignoring abusive behavior, which doesn’t seem to be abating (despite promises to the contrary), it’s not normal. If there are warnings, pay attention and go to plan B, or if necessary, change your target. Make sure the goal is your goal and not what someone else says is your goal.
As you achieve a goal and get a little closer to your dream, reassess. Is it the next logical step or was it done without enough information. Do you really need to achieve that next goal or is there a different goal to set and achieve? Change as needed. Do you really need to study Underwater Basketry 101 to become a nuclear scientist? Do you really need to watch TV for four hours every night? Look at yourself and see what you are doing. Could you do it better?
Every time you set yourself a goal, write it down. Keep it in a journal or notebook. Review your writing daily to keep your mind fresh. Also, it is very effective to write a start date when you set a goal and an end date when you achieve the goal. It’s a very satisfying feeling to look through your notebook and see that you are actually completing goals and making progress toward your dream. So let’s fast-forward through the process so you can see how it works. Let’s say your dream is to be the president’s limo driver. Now you need to work from there back to where you are now.
To drive the president you must be able to drive the executive limo, an excellent driver and a member of the secret service. Being in the secret service requires an impeccable reputation and a willingness to serve. There are three main goals in the dream. The first is to be an excellent driver. The second is to be a member of the secret service, and the third is to be qualified to drive the executive limousine. (You know that tank that looks like a car)
So let’s start with the first big goal. Become an excellent driver. We’ll have to break it down into a couple of regular targets. To be an excellent driver you must first be a licensed driver. Becoming a licensed driver now becomes a regular goal. The steps from there to here are: To become a licensed driver, you must pass a driving test. In order to take the driving test you must pass a written test; to pass the written test you have to study; to study you must first have a book; to get the book you must know where to get it.
The next step is now to write the tasks to achieve the goal. Write them down in the reverse order you thought of them and add a start date.
June 1
Find out where the driver’s books are
Get a copy of the book
study the book
Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and take the written test
pass written test
Take the practical driving test
Pass the exam, get the driver’s license
Each task is a miniature goal in itself. Once you have completed one task, move on to the next. If you discover that there is another step, you should add it to the list. For example, we found out after taking the written test that you need to have a bit of experience to pass the road test, so you add the “Practice Driving” task.
As each step is taken, write down the completion date. By reviewing your journal, you will see that you are making progress toward your first goal. When he has achieved his first goal (becoming a licensed driver), he reassesses and makes sure he is on the right track. Then, he sets his next goal, keeping it in line with his dream.
There you have it, now you have an idea of what to do. I can’t make you do it; You have to do it yourself. Do you want a good life where people respect you, or is the sofa too comfortable? It’s your life, go and live it.
Be blessed.
