One thing that everyone in this world has in common....we all have dreams. Everyone has things in their lives that they desire. Everyone has a wishlist, but very few people know how to actively work towards those goals. You see, there is just one thing that separates people who accomplish their dreams and people who don't...action. Now, that is easier said than done right? Especially for some dreams that seem too big to conquer? How the heck do you know where to start? Well that's what this post is all about today!
Today we will discuss 5 easy things that you can start doing TODAY that will get you one step closer to your dreams. You don't have to be some genius, or big shot to accomplish your dreams. The ideas that I will present in here, are common everyday things! Probably things you will think "wow Steph I could have thought of that one" but I am hoping that it is delivered to you in a way that inspires you to get up and KICK ASS!
Don't just sleep with your dreams. Wake up and make them your reality! So with that being said, let's kick things off!
1. Create a RoadMap
I think a common mistake that people make when it comes to their dreams is that they get tunnel vision. They only see the finish line but they don't look at the road that will get them there. The reason that that becomes a problem is because it can stifle your progress. Sure, seeing the finish line is a great motivator! You wanna be a millionaire so you envision that end goal of you living in that mansion or flying on that private jet! You wanna be super fit and healthy so you envision yourself posing in that itty bitty red hot bikini and feel fab! You want to be a best selling author so you envision yourself at a book signing with your New York Times best selling book.
All of these visions of the end goal are exciting and all probably fill you with dopamine and motivation. You get excited about your dreams and you are like "YEA I AM GONNA DO ALL OF THAT!" And then what happens? You talk about it for a few days, map some things out, and then it fizzles out. You get on with your daily life activities until the next burst of motivation hits and you spend another random afternoon planning out your dreams. I am speaking from experience here. I have gone through that frustrating cycle more times than I can count. And I always came out feeling like...maybe this dream is just that... a dream to give me hope but not something that I will ever accomplish. That's because I was just focused on the finish line.
This idea of drawing your road map is something that was inspired by the book Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis. First and foremost it is a totally fabulous read and you need to go get it like today. But anyway, in the book she discusses working backwards. That is something that I have to do in my career a lot so it made a lot of sense to me and I am going to share it with you here now....
First you start with your end goal. Yes for right now I want you to visualize that finish line for me.
Next I want you to think about okay...what would the step right before the finish line be? For example: let's go with the famous author dream. Well in order to be at your book signing with a best seller, your book first has to be a best seller. So let's say the step before being at the book signing is make it to the NY Times best sellers list.
Then I need you to think about the step before that, and the one before that and so on. So continuing with that example your road map might look something like this: Finish Line: Be at a book signing for my NY Times Best Seller. Make it on the NY Times Best Seller List. Publish book with _____ Publishing company. Have book edited by ______. Complete writing the book. So on and so forth. You do this until you arrive at the step you are now
You see by working backwards you make your dream seem a lot more realistic. Okay here is what I want ultimately, but how the heck do I get from where I am to there!? Work backwards. What's the step right before the finish line? And the step before that? And that? Eventually you end up where you are now, and now you have a platform, or a road map to follow as you cruise along towards your dream.
2. Break Those Dreams Down
Okay now you have the road map, but that isn't going to be useful if you don't know what to do at each stop of this road trip! So now it is time to get specific and break those dreams down! I am going to stick with the author dream because not only is it one of my actual dreams, but I feel like it is an easier example to demonstrate. So for example, even on my road map above, some of those steps seem pretty big. Like "Complete Writing Book". Oh okay let me just write a book. How overwhelming does that sound? It also provides zero direction. And I have often found that without direction, much like with driving, people get lost.
How does one even begin to write a book? Well let's take that dream or goal and break it down. You could begin by watching videos or tutorials, or reading a book or post dedicated on how-to do your dream. Next I could focus on world building. Let's say for the next two months I will just focus on building the world of my story. And in that goal you break it down even further: this week I will build the kingdom of _____. And you focus on developing how that kingdom operates (obviously working on a fiction book here). Then you could work on character development and so on and so forth. Once you get to writing the book you can break it down chapter by chapter.
The whole point of this step is to take the staircase on step at a time. You can apply this to daily things as well. If there is a problem or something difficult you are facing take it apart piece by piece. It will become much less daunting that way and you will be able to see your progress as you kick butt!
3. Change Your Environment to Change Your Habits
As much as I don't like to admit it at times, your environment plays a HUGE factor in your habits, your success, and even your mindset! Think about it, if you need peace and quiet to focus on writing a book, and you live in a house with 6 other people, and most of them watch blaring loud TV or are constantly making noise that may make it difficult for you. Or if you're really trying to lose weight, and you live at home with a partner who doesn't care about health and they continuously keep stocking your pantry with cheese puffs and bon bons, that may be counterproductive to you.
Similarly, you can affect your environment too. If your dream is to become a doctor, and you need to study for your exams, but your desk is right next to your PS5 and you find yourself only studying while your character is in the lobby in between games of Call of Duty, your environment is shaping poor habits that will inhibit your success. I understand, that there are certain things in life that you do not have control over. However, don't waste your time focusing on those. Focus on what you do have control over.
For example, in that loud house full of people. Can you go outside? Can you take 20-30 minutes a day and go outside and focus on what you need to focus on? Or if it is too cold or unsafe for whatever reason, do you have headphones? Can you put them on with some soothing focus music to block out the noise? Can you compromise with your housemates? Hey if you keep the TV off just for these 30 minutes today I will watch whatever you want later ? Same applies to the healthy eating. Meal prep your meals ahead of time so you do not have to deal with your cravings. If you don't have to make the decision about what to cook or eat you are much more likely to stick to your health goal.
Take a second and think about your environment. What does it look like? What does it have in it? Who is a part of your environment? Is it conductive to completing your dreams? Are there things or people in your environment that inhibit you from taking purpose driven action? Are there distractions? What do you have control over? Change your environment, change your habits, change your life.
4. Find Inspiration & Make Connections
Now that you have changed your environment it's time to think about those new habits you are going to build while you exist in it. One thing that can help when trying to develop new habits for success is to find inspiration! Listen to podcasts, read books, do some research! Find people who are living your dream, because let's be honest..most dreams people have are not specific to them. Chances are someone out there has your dream too and someone else is out there living it. What are they doing? How are they accomplishing their dreams. Take notes and see how you can apply their success in your life.
Also, back to environment, remember when I told you to think about who is in your environment...that's because IT MATTERS! I swear 9/10 times you have someone in your life, closer to you than you think, that could help propel you towards your dream. And if you don't...maybe it is time to reevaluate who you are hanging out with and what value they are bringing to your life. Disclaimer, I am not saying you should only keep people in your life if they can help you with your dreams. Friends and families come in all shapes and sizes and all serve different purposes. However, you do need to think about if your friends are sharing similar goals. Are they motivated like you? Are they supportive? Those are important factors.
There is a quote that I really like, you are the sum of the 5 people who spend the most time with. Although there may be some faults in that saying, there is some truth in it as well. If you surround yourself with people who do not want better for themselves, it is more likely that you will succumb to that mindset and attitude as well. Also, dig deep with those who are closest to you! People are rich with experiences! What knowledge to they have that they could share with you? What life experiences can they offer or do they know anyone who could be an asset to you? For example, bringing it back to my author dream ...I have two friends who have successfully written and published books! And I NEVER KNEW! I had no idea I had these valuable resources in my loved ones because I never spoke about my dreams to them. But once I started being open and trying to make connections I found out how much value my loved ones could add to my dreams!
All of that to say, be aware of who you share your space and energy with. Be aware of how those around you affect you, and try to make connections with everyone, you never know who could end up being your biggest help towards working towards your dreams.
5. Stop Waiting for Perfection
This last suggestion, hits soooooo close to home for me. I cannot tell you how many times I thought I was working towards my dreams because I was planning for them. But the problem there is I was always planning...never acting. One of my favorite books Atomic Habits by James Clear discusses this issue and I have to share one line from that section with you because it drives a clear message. "Motion makes you feel like you're getting things done. But really, you're just preparing to get something done. When preparation becomes a form of procrastination, you need to change something" (Clear, 143).
You see, a common fear of people is failure. Being embarrassed if they don't hit their goals. So they sit and they wait. Wait for the perfect time. Wait until they have the right amount of money saved up. Wait for them to feel ready. But you will never be 100 percent ready. You will never be perfect. And all that time you sit there and wait, trying to be perfect, is time wasted that you could have been out there LIVING and EXPERIENCING and LEARNING! Working closer and closer to your goals.
You will miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take. Look up stories of the most successful people in the world. I GUARANTEE you they have a rough patch in their story. A part where they had nothing but they tried anway. A section where they failed over and over again but kept pushing. And it was those moments, those times where they were taking purpose driven action that built their staircase to success. You lose nothing by trying. Even if you fall flat on your face, you are closer to your dream then you where when you were just sitting still.
THAT'S IT! 5 simple steps that you can start TODAY and continue to implement in your life on a daily basis to get closer to your dreams. Don't let the fear stop you. It is okay to feel scared, stepping out of your comfort zone is uncomfortable! But you know what they say...fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.
So get out there! Take purpose driven action! Fail a little bit! Learn and accomplish those dreams!
Until next time,
Steph
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