If you really want to fulfill your dreams you can’t just dream and hope for the best. You must have a clear vision, courage and the perseverance to turn it into a reality.
There’s no lack of motivational speakers out there ready to tell you that you should set your sights high, that you can fulfill your dreams regardless of how lofty it is, and that all you need to fulfill your dreams is willpower. Maybe. But you also need a clear vision, courage, a good dose of luck, and loads and loads of perseverance.
Photo Credit: Le Reve by Pablo Picasso
It’s not that unusual to feel frustrated or downright depressed a couple of days after you hear motivational speakers share their advice. Because when someone insists that all it takes is willpower to fulfill your dream, and you’re working as hard as you can, it’s easy to feel inept if you fail to get what you want. The truth is more complex. It’s hard to persevere if it your dream is not aligned with your inner most desire. So if you really want to fulfill your dreams, it behooves you to identify your own dream.
To fulfill your dreams you need clear vision
Make sure you have a clear vision for your dream. That it is in fact your dream and not someone else’s, and that it’s doable. Regardless of what people in the business of inspiring others tell you, not all dreams are achievable by everyone at any given time.
For instance, if you are 40 and just started taking gymnastics classes, it will be absolutely impossible for you to earn an Olympic gold medal in this discipline. Now if you were to set your eyes on winning a local triathlon competition after some intense training, that could certainly be doable.
To fulfill your dream you need courage
No question about it. Courage is a key ingredient in your quest to fulfill your dream. Many people give up before they even start, because their dream is not aligned with old familiar mandates and they are afraid to disappoint their parents, grandparents, spouses, etc. Or because it’s too big. Or because they think they don’t have what it takes to achieve it. Or worse, they don’t want to put in the effort it will take. Here’s the thing, though. Few experiences in life are as satisfactory as fulfilling your dream. It’s a boost of confidence and an adrenaline rush like no other. So if you’re feeling a bit insecure about how to fulfill your dreams, call a friend. Share your goals with her, ask for her support, ask her to walk along your side on this journey.
Identify people who may derail your ability to fulfill your dreams
When your intent is to fulfill your dreams, you have to expect that you will meet people along the way who might interfere with your goals. Who are they?
- People whose goals conflict with yours. Share as little as possible about how you plan to fulfill your dream and limit the amount of time you spend with these individuals and their allies.
- People who sell you a bill of goods and don’t deliver. Test these offers as soon as possible by asking for simple deliverables such as a specific contact they had mentioned. If after a couple of times they fail to come through, stop wasting energy expecting their help and move on. There are plenty of people in the world ready to help you fulfill your dream.
- People who ask for your help time and time again and never reciprocate. If you really want to fulfill your dream you will have to aim for reciprocal relationships where everyone benefits.
Perseverance
Perseverance is probably one of the most important ingredient in your journey to fulfill your dream. It’s tightly connected to your desire. In other words, if your genuine desire (dream) is to become an entrepreneur, you will be able to overcome all obstacles you’ll find along the way. You will be able to persevere in the face of adversity. But if becoming an entrepreneur is what your family wants for you, not what you want for yourself, it will be hard to sustain the level of perseverance required. You won’t be able to put up with the “fail and fail again” attitude so typical of the entrepreneurial journey. And in the end, you wouldn’t fulfill your dream but someone else’s dream! That’s why I suggested early on that having a clear vision for your dream, knowing what you want is critical for your success.
More perseverance
There will be days when you don’t want to continue with your dream, days where anger, frustration or impotence will make you doubt whether it’s all worth it. Your challenge is to turn these negative situations into positive ones and keep forging forward until you see the light. Until you reach that exhilarating moment when you finally fulfill your dream. When you savor the fruits of your efforts and are ready to go after a new challenge.
Why so few people fulfill their dream
There is no lack of dreamers out there. (You can check Posibl., an online platform to help you fulfill your dream and see how many thousands of people all over the world have uploaded their dreams.) That’s not the reason why so few people fulfill theirs. But it takes determination, vision, courage, and persistence to see your dream through. It takes working along with others to contribute to their dreams so they contribute to yours. And most importantly it takes never giving up. Despite the bad days, the naysayers, and the hoops you have to jump through. The only way to fulfill your dream is to take it as seriously as Olympic athletes take their journey. They know getting a medal is a difficult goal and that it will take a huge effort to attain it. It’s a big commitment. Do you have what it takes to fulfill your dream?
