Hopes and Dreams
Humans are born with the ability to dream and hope for something better. It is what we do afterwards that determines the outcome. A dream without action is just fantasy. The action is the means to achieve those hopes and dreams. For some people, the belief in our dreams and hopes gets lost through the years. So how do we get back on track and accomplish at least a few of those dreams? The first step is to realize that our dreams are still within reach. It starts with a clear understanding of the difference between what is achievable and what is not.
The pathway that leads to our success is filled with small goals that, once accomplished, build our confidence to complete the next one. We possess the ability to establish achievable goals as steppingstones to reach what we hope for. A dream and a goal are two different terms that help in our task. The dream is the final destination and the goal is the path leading to it. One dream can have many goals or directions and strategies that help us accomplish it. Each goal is a small step toward the finalization of the dream. We all have dreams. Some are for tomorrow, some are for next week, and some are for years from now.
It is within our ability to realize all of them by listening to the heart and completing all the necessary steps. Reality today was a dream or hope sometime in the past. Keep a journal of those things you hope for. Write down the steps or goals needed along to way to achieve each one. Then, every week or every month, review each one to assure that you stay on the correct path to accomplishment. Each review period allows you to make minor adjustments in the goals as life events dictate. We sometimes grow up with preconceived notions that many of these dreams are not considered worthy of any effort to realize them.
If a dream is conceived but never believed, it is considered merely a fantasy. Often our lives are restricted to these fleeting fantasies because we don’t have the courage to treat them as achievable dreams. Change the thought processes in your head so that you are not restricted by perceived impossibilities. Focus instead on the dream and its goals. Give fantasies the chance to turn into a dream by making them an important part of your life. Set the goals needed to fulfill the dream. Dreams are then given attention and can be fully manifested by setting goals.
Maintain your focus on the dream instead of the short-term goals to enable fulfillment and satisfaction. While achieving goals offers a sense of satisfaction, this doesn’t provide ongoing motivation. The real power of each goal comes from its connection to the appropriate dream. And, yes, you can have many dreams that are in process all the time. Each of the short-term goals will lead to your objective. Setting smaller, more attainable goals will develop a sense of accomplishment that will ultimately keep you focused on the dream itself. The acronym SMART helps in setting the goals.
Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely. Dreams and hopes live in the heart. They are uniquely you and have the potential to result in who you are gifted to become. Without taking steps to realize those dreams, they are useless. Those people who dream and then set goals to achieve them will experience joy and satisfaction in their lives and a sense of peace in their twilight years. Truly successful people have taken their dreams out of the fantasy and converted them into eventual reality. They have done this by setting realistic goals and constantly reviewing the process to stay on track.
