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Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dream
Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dream
by Chris Widener
Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out the mundane.
Chris Widener
Can achievement be broken down into steps? Well, it isnt always
that clean and easy, but I do know that those who achieve great things
usually go through much of the same process, with many of the items listed
below as part of that process. So if you have been struggling with achievement,
look through the following and internalize the thoughts presented. Then
begin to apply them. You will be on the road to achieving your dream!
Dream it
Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began
in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was
possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask "What if?"
Think big. Don't let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be
a "dreamer." Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family,
and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the
dream! Fan the flames. Life is to short to let it go. (Also, check out
my article Dare to Dream Again, Which has been read by close
to a million people in the last 4 months alone. You can see it at the
website.)
Believe it
Yes, your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly
beyond your capabilities. But it also must be believable. You must be
able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you
work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done. Good
example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build
a 50 million-dollar a year company. That is big, but believable. Bad example:
That a 90 year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in
under 3 hours. It is big alright, but also impossible. She should instead
focus on building a 50 million-dollar a year business! And she better
get a move on!
See it
The great achievers have a habit. They "see" things. They picture
themselves walking around their CEO office in their new 25 million-dollar
corporate headquarters, even while they are sitting on a folding chair
in their garage "headquarters." Great free-throw shooters in
the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture
the ball going straight down the fairway. World-class speakers picture
themselves speaking with energy and emotion. All of this grooms the mind
to control the body to carry out the dream.
Tell it
One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps
it all to himself. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind.
The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many
people. One reason: As we continually say it, we begin to believe it more
and more. If we are talking about it then it must be possible. Another
reason: It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it spurs us
on to actually do it so we don't look foolish.
Plan it
Every dream must take the form of a plan. The old saying that you "get
what you plan for" is so true. Your dream won't just happen. You
need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving
the dream. Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down
into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each
task on your "dream plan."
Work it
Boy, wouldn't life be grand if we could quit before this one! Unfortunately
the successful are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the
world is sitting on their couch watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island,
achievers are working on their goal - achieving their dream. I have an
equation that I work with: Your short-term tasks, multiplied by time,
equal your long-term accomplishments. If you work on it each day, eventually
you will achieve your dream. War and Peace was written, in longhand, page
by page.
Enjoy it
When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure
to enjoy it. In fact, enjoy the trip too. Give yourself some rewards along
the way. Give yourself a huge reward when you get there. Help others enjoy
it. Be gracious and generous. Use your dream to better others. Then go
back to number 1. And dream a little bigger this time!
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President
of Made for Success and Extraordinary Leaders, two companies helping individuals
and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every
area of their lives and achieve their dreams. Join subscribers in over
100 countries around the world! Get Chris' FREE weekly Made for Success
Ezine by sending a blank email to success-on@mail-list.com. Get his FREE
daily SuccessQuote with action point by sending a blank email to
SQ@infogeneratorpro.com. Get his FREE monthly Extraordinary Leaders Ezine,
one of the world's most widely distributed leadership newsletters, by
sending a blank email to leaders-on@mail-list.com or visit his websites
at www.madeforsuccess.com
Copyright 2002 Made for Success. Used by permission. All rights reserved
worldwide.
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