Everyone has a dream – many dreams actually – but only a very few people actually believe that they can actually achieve them.
Nevertheless, some people do achieve their dreams, they are inspired and follow through. Others, the vast majority probably, live lives of regret, delaying or giving up entirely on their dreams in exchange for whatever excuses they comfort themselves with.
What are the factors that make that difference between the person who achieves and the one who regrets?
Let’s explore three:
1. Motivation.
Everyone has their own motivations for their dreams; what are yours? It could be financial freedom, more free time, or a second home on the beach. Whatever it is, remind yourself of it on a daily basis.
For example, having pictures of your dream beach home hung on the fridge or in your work space will remind you of your dream, and refresh your mind with motivation.?
- When you suffer inevitable setbacks or frustration, a visible reminder of your dream will help motivate you to do what you need to do, to get back on track.
It is also important to give yourself rewards along the way after making a breakthrough, such as acquiring a new client, learning a new computer program, or sharing a smile with your teenager.
Treat yourself to a nice dinner, take the day off for a game of golf, or reward yourself with something else you like. Your reward will give you a refreshing break from the trials and stresses on your path to success, and bring you new energy to continue working toward your goal. I also believe that we don’t do this enough – and that when we pause to acknowledge that we have achieved something (even if it’s a life lesson rather than what we originally set out to do!), we anchor the feeling of completion and the satisfaction of having achieved, and we natrually gravitate to, or attract more of, that into our lives.
- Giving yourself a reward along the way will reinvigorate your motivation.
2. Planning.
Although it may seem obvious that to achieve anything concrete, you need a systematic plan, many people overlook or downplay this process and then wonder why they aren’t making progress! Be sure to take the time to plan your path for greater success!
- Once you have a broad plan to reaching your goal, you must fine-tune the details. Put it down on paper, even if it’s an emotional or psychological life goal, and also write down the steps necessary to make that goal a reality.? If you want more information on this process, my favourite book is called Write it Down, Make it Happen. Cheryl Richardson’s You Can Change Your Life also has great information on writing it down!
- Put a time frame on it. Put all excuses aside with a finite deadline for each step.? Add the deadlines to your diary – I diarise everything’. Well, almost everything, sometimes I forget to do it, and it and ti’s amazing how those things just don’t get done, because somehow they don’t get the attention! Write it down….
- Be realistic about your own skills, and about where you’ll need to ask for help. Asking for help is one of the things most people really struggle with, but ask yourself: Do Oprah, or Donald Trump, do it all themselves? Or do they have a team of advisers? I’m pretty sure they had
Creating a realistic step-by-step plan with a deadline will bring your dream to life. Setting definable little goals to achieve on the way to your desired large goal will enable you to follow your plan through to success.
3. Action.
Lastly, no dream or goal can be achieved without action. No matter how good you are visualising and attracting, you must take action if you want to succeed. And if you’ve developed your plan as recommended, you will see that there are a number of little steps you must take daily or regularly that will get you closer to your goal.? For example, I make a blog entry every single day. Now some days I post a few entries and post-date them, for example when I know my schedule is going to be really full for a few days. But since I made the commitment to myself to take that action, my goal of having a successful website (measured by the number of readers) by the middle of 2009, is very much closer. It would not be happening if I wasn’t taking action.
- Your little steps give you the map to your treasure. Take action to follow your map. Each step you complete brings you closer to your goal.? If you have any feelings of being undeserving lurking in your subconscious, I’d highly recommend using EFT to dig it out and clean it up – because I know you would not be on this planet if you didn’t deserve to have the best of everything, however ‘everything’ looks to you.
- Evaluate your actions and revise your map as necessary. If a plan falls through, then be willing to change it until you find yourself back on your path.
- Be gentle with yourself when things don’t go according to plan – remember how many times Edison ‘failed’ on his path to inventing the lightbulb – thousands of ‘failures’ taught him what he needed to know to get where he needed to do, and his ‘failures’ changed the world!
Motivation, Planning and Action will help you to create and live the life you’ve always wanted. It may take some time, but following these steps and using EFT to support you when you need it, will guide you to success.
