Most of us have numerous goals we would like to achieve. Examples include: losing weight, spending more quality time with family and friends, living a healthier lifestyle, making more money, learning a language and too many more to list. However, way too often we never achieve the goals we set because we don’t get our thinking on track.
Often we sabotage our ability to achieve our goals by telling ourselves a pack of lies such as I’m not smart enough, pretty enough, rich enough, or educated enough to pursue my dreams. Sometimes we lie to ourselves about why we don’t achieve our goals by blaming others. It’s my boss’s fault that I don’t have time. It’s my mother’s fault that I’m the way I am, she was never supportive. My husband/wife/significant other stands in the way of my dreams. We even blame our kids. The excuses go on forever. Want to see someone who can make you live your dream? Go look in the mirror and point. Who you see pointing back at you is the magical person who can make your dreams come true.
Pitch all the excuses out and let’s start fresh. Not tonight or tomorrow, right now. Do you know why? The reason is that right now is all that exists. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t here yet. Right now is what we all have and the right now activities and thoughts will determine what right now in five minutes or five years will mean to us.
Every goal, whether it be a long term life goal such as “I want to learn a language” or a little short goal like “I want to give my dog a bath” start out the exactly the same way; with a decision. And what is a decision, but nothing more than a thought. It’s primarily your thoughts that lead to action and actions are what it takes for you to live your dream.
As an example, let’s say you never graduated from high school. You’re a single mom with two kids at home and you work 40 hours a week as a maid earning minimum wage. You think working as an interpreter of Middle Eastern languages would be a fun job and you know there is a demand for interpreters. What do you do to achieve your dream?
Step 1 – You say to yourself “I’m going to work as an interpreter of the Arabic language.” There now you’ve made a decision.
Step 2 – You ask yourself “What do I need to do to become an interpreter?” This is the first action step in achieving your dream. You don’t know anyone to ask so you go to the library and discover that you have two options. You can become a translator or an interpreter. The former works with the written word, the latter with the spoken word. You enjoy the interaction with people and decide you want to stick with being an interpreter.
You learn that it will take 1 to 2 years to learn the language and it’s difficult for some to learn. You also learn that the best way to learn Arabic is to immerse yourself in the language. Some interpreter jobs will require you to finish high school and possibly college.
Step 3 – You develop a plan of action. You decide to pass your high school equivalency test first. You calculate that will take you 1 year based taking the mock tests offered at the library. In the meantime you decide to purchase a laptop computer. With that, you can purchase software to help you learn Arabic. You also decide to visit a local mosque and make friends with Arabic speaking people. This will be immersion on your terms.
Step 4 – You further break down step 3 into day by day actions because you know that by moving forward every day you will be that much closer to living your dream.
Step 5 – Set a time frame for each step of the journey to your dream.
Will this be easy? No. Will there be sacrifices? Yes. Nothing is free. You’re probably not going to be watching your favorite sitcoms at night after the kids go to bed. You’ll still be struggling with finances. There will be setbacks. So how do you prevent yourself from giving up? You keep the dream in front of you all the time. See yourself speaking Arabic fluently and making many friends who speak Arabic. See your kids learning the language. How cool that will be!
If you want something bad enough, you can usually have it. You just have to be willing to do what it takes to get it. Don’t believe me? Consider the famous Tosh O. the one legged dancer or Beethoven, a deaf music composer or Maj. Alan Brown, the amputee pilot or George Washington Carver, born a slave only to become a famous black inventor or physicist Stephen Hawking.
In conclusion, I found a poem that says it all.
You Can Be Whatever
You Want To Be!
There is inside you
all of the potential
to be whatever you want to be,
all of the energy
to do whatever you want to do.
Imagine yourself as you would like to be,
doing what you want to do,
and each day, take one step
towards your dream.
And though at times it may seem too
difficult to continue,
hold on to your dream.
One morning you will awake to find
that you are the person you dreamed of,
doing what you wanted to do,
simply because you had the courage
to believe in your potential
and to hold on to your dream.
~ Donna Levine ~
Now go have fun and relax.