To Plan a Dream

Be honest: how much of your day is spent daydreaming about a life you don't quite have? From the time we were children, we dreamed of who we would be and what we would do. As we got older, we dreamed of where life would take us, what would fulfill us, what would bring us happiness. Maybe your dream is to travel the world and experience every city and culture. Maybe your dream is to attend an Ivy League university and learn from famous professors. Maybe your dream is to be a parent and have a family of your own. Maybe your dream is to own your own business and earn the right to put CEO after your name. Whatever your dream, whether it has come true or not, the only real way to get there is to plan your path. 

There is power in the act of putting down on paper the things that matter to us. When we take the time to write in a journal or send a handwritten note to a friend, the result is usually more profound than if we communicated our thoughts in other ways. The same is true when we write out a plan. It empowers our thoughts and ideas by making them actionable. 

When our dreams are empowered they take on a momentum of their own. This momentum drives the dream and pushes the dreamer to make a move. It creates probability where there was only possibility. It creates passion where there was only interest. It creates a vision for the future where there was only wishful thinking. Making a plan is a powerful thing. But how do you do it?

Start at the end and work your way backwards. What is the ultimate goal? What would it take to achieve it? Now look at that answer and ask what it would take to get to that point. Keep asking the question until you're just one step ahead of your present situation. This is the first step you must take. The only thing left to do is take the step. One step at a time. As long as you're moving forward, then your dream is on its way to becoming reality.

Share your thoughts:

• Do you have a recurring daydream? A happy place your mind wanders to?
  
• What would be the first step toward actually making that dream happen?