Taking ideas out of the dream box & onto the path to success

We all have dreams. Things that we would like to do or have in our lives; from losing weight, to buying our dream house or setting up our own business.

As children we spent hours every day dreaming about all the things that we would be, do and see. Maybe you wanted to play football for England, become a film star or travel the world. The possibilities were endless, what happened to those dreams?

As an adult you start to think that if those childhood dreams didn't become a reality, then why should the ones you have today? Cynicism takes over. The gulf between the pictures in your head and the routine of everyday life seems too large to cross. So the ideas flowing through your mind like an endless river of potential happiness are halted abruptly by the daily 6am alarm clock and the bridge to possibilities is never crossed.

Turning a mental picture of your goal into the physical reality, whatever your desire, is made more difficult by believing that the transformation needs to happen overnight. When the results are not immediate we tend to put the idea safely back in the dream box and tell ourselves that we have failed.

To turn your dreams into reality you must think of them as goals that are there for you to achieve, just waiting for you to successfully harness them. Your goals do not need to be achieved in one blind leap; instead imagine a series of carefully positioned stepping stones.

The Stepping Stones

Step 1) Know your goal: Lenin said "The people who will win are those with a clear idea of where they want to go". Have a clear understanding of what you want and why.

Ask yourself “What will this goal bring to my life? What will happen if I don't achieve this goal? What has stopped me from achieving this goal so far?”

Write it all down! It's important to have a record of your thought process so that you can remind yourself of where you're heading and what you've achieved so far.

Step 2) Sanity check: Your goals may be hard to achieve and involve a lot of effort, so before you set about trying to reach them you need to sanity check how much you want them in your life.

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you want to reach this goal? If it's less than a 9, you're going to struggle to find the motivation to complete the steps.

Question your motivations, “If I could have it today would I take it? If my goal involves a move of location or job who else will be impacted? Do my parents/partner/children need to be in agreement?”

Step 3) Be self aware: Does this goal suit you?

This may sound ridiculous but if the goal does not meet with your own values and beliefs, your internal conflict will prevent you from completing the path to success.

Does this goal fit in with who you are fundamentally? Does it fit with your core beliefs? What personal needs are at the root of wanting this goal, for example flexibility, security or respect etc?

The core need could be achieved by something else which is simpler.

Step 4) Plan to make it a priority: Treat achieving your personal goals as a priority.

Just as you meet deadlines for work, paying the bills, etc. so should you meet your personal deadlines. Put it in your diary! Plan the steps that you need to take by a specific date and check up on yourself. Set yourself up to succeed.

Perhaps it's a few pounds that you want to lose or a new job that you're looking for. Ask yourself, “What do I need to do to make this happen?” Make a note of the date that you want to achieve it by, list all the steps that need to happen before then and put a deadline next to each step. Remember to plan time to plan!

Step 5) Build your support network: No man is an island!

You have to accept that you will sometimes need the support of some trusted advisors to keep you on track. Who do you know that can help you? Who can you learn from? Who has achieved something similar? How did they do it?

The key focus with your support network is to find people who really understand what you want to achieve and are prepared to be there for you. Sometimes your partner or closest friends can be those who can unwittingly sabotage your success. Pick your confidants wisely.

Step 6) Overcome obstacles: You may have to accept that you won't meet every deadline, or that busy times at work or a hectic social life may prevent you from hitting every milestone date in the diary.

This is not an excuse to give up, throw in the towel and exclaim that the goal is impossible.

Gather your thoughts and then go back to Step 1 in the Stepping Stones and follow the process again. The goal may be delayed but by following the course, you will get to the finish line.

Step 7) Enjoy the journey: Sometimes we're so focused on the end destination that we forget how enjoyable the road trip can be.

You will face challenges that you will overcome, you will discover much about yourself and those closest to you and you will grow with the process. So have fun on your journey to success.

Let's face it, when you realise that you've achieved the first goal, you'll just keep setting yourself more!





Jo Geraghty is managing Director of “Beyond the Ladder” and is one of the UK’s leading coaches for executives and entrepreneurs.

You can hear more interviews on PASSION for the PLANET

How to stay motivated after redundancy

We tend to think of our job primarily as a source income so if we are made redundant then it is easy to surmise that money is the only thing we are missing out on. However the daily routine of going to work also provides our life with other important ingredients such as discipline and human contact. When these factors are removed because a job is lost then motivational problems can set it.

It’s quite ironic that when we have a job we can spend a lot of time wishing we didn’t have to work but when it is gone we overlook all the different benefits that it adds to our life!

Therefore, in order to keep motivated when no longer working you need find other ways of building a disciplined routine and getting sufficient human contact.

When you are out of work it is very easy to get into a routine of going to bed late and getting up late. In the short term this might be fun and a welcome opportunity to rest and relax but eventually it can lead to a sense of despondency, lack of drive and even depression. It is essential to build a new daily routine to avoid this downside.

I’m not suggesting that you continue to drag yourself out of bed at 6am as if you were still at work and run out of the house a few minutes later clutching a piece of half-eaten toast. Instead, consider the ideas below:

• Decide to get up between 8am and 9am everyday and ensure that you are in bed by midnight.

• Arrange to meet up with a friend a couple of mornings a week so that you are forced to get up and out at a reasonable time. If you know other people who have been made redundant then you can all help each other to stay motivated.

• Decide on a time period each day that you will spend investigating the job market and making applications.

• Find ways to be around people even if you are not in direct conversation with them. When I first started working at home I really missed human contact. However I found that working in a café for an hour, or a public space, satisfied this craving for human company. This need not be an expensive pursuit. For example, spending an hour reading the newspaper in your local library every morning won’t cost a penny.

• Make sure that you are active as this will benefit you both mentally and physically. For example, you might decide to go out for a one hour walk before midday or perhaps you could dust down your old push bike and explore your local area on two wheels. Again, exercise does not have to cost money – fresh air is free!

There are also advantages to having a period of not working. Now you can take up that new hobby to which you previously never had the time to commit or you can resurrect an old hobby that you just hadn’t got around to for years. You can have more quality time with your family, watch your children grow up and have more time to pay attention to their needs. You can also contribute to your community; spending an hour or so having tea and cake with an elderly neighbour will be of great benefit to both of you.

This period of unemployment is a great opportunity to reclaim neglected aspects of your life. Then, when you do find a new job you can look back on this episode with fondness rather than despair. You might even find that you enjoyed taking time to smell the roses and determine to carry this principle into your new working life.

Cali Bird is a life coach, writer and speaker. Cali specialises in working with people to excavate their long lost goals and desires. She then helps them find a way to get started on these dreams whilst fulfilling their current responsibilities. To download a free ebook “Top Ten Tips To Lead The Life You Want To Lead” go to Cali's website.