Here's a real question for you. What do your personal dreams actually mean to you?
Do they just live in your head in a fantasy world?
What's stopping you from taking the actions to making your dreams a reality?
For most it's a lack of time and lack of money that stops them from reaching their dreams and goals. It could also be many other countless doubts you or someone close to you is putting in your head, making you feel insecure about going after those dreams.
I've been there. Right where you are, with those exact same doubts and barriers. Wishing that somehow they would come true, but they won't unless you do something about it.
The choice is yours: Keep your dreams in your head or take action and make them a reality. Take one small step a day and you'll be 365 steps closer to your dreams by the end of a year.
We all know about setting goals, all the gurus, life coaches and counselors talk about setting goals. Do you ever wonder why? Because they work!
Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guide your focus and helps you sustain a good forward momentum in life. Goals can also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery and confidence. In the end, you can't manage what you don't measure and you can't improve upon something that you don't properly manage.
I can boil successful days down to three activities. Everything else is noise and distractions. Things like Netflix, laziness, bringing work home with me, social media and all of the other crap that pulls at my attention is a barrier to my achieving success.
There will be trials and mistakes along the path, but if I spend my days learning, doing, and selling, I know I’ll come out ahead. There is very seldom an earth-shattering change overnight, but over time there will be cumulative gains in every aspect of my business and life.
If you work a little on your goals every single day, you will continue moving forward in achieving your goals and someday you will finally have arrived to see success knocking at your door.
1) Learn
Just about every hugely successful person in history set time aside every day for reading and learning. Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Benjamin Franklin, etc…. They were always learning, searching for knowledge.
The list and examples go on forever. People who are extremely successful that don’t spend time learning each day are the exception, not the rule. Constantly learning obviously works to help you get to your personal goals.
If I study a minimum of 1 hour each day, that adds up to 365 hours each year. That is over 15 days (24 hours straight) of learning. With that extra learning, I know that I’ll have significantly more skills, experience and knowledge at the end of the year that will help me reach those dreams that I so desire to have.
And that’s just if I do the minimum!
Learning can take many forms. You can read books, listen to podcasts, take online training, watch YouTube tutorials, attend a webinar or attend live training. Whatever fits your lifestyle and your style of learning, but go for it.
A mix of these different learning methods is the most effective for me. I can fit the learning to the situation. I listen to books on my phone when I am cleaning, getting ready for work or driving in the car, I'm constantly researching issues and problems that clients are having troubles with, or sit down and focus intently on an online course. Regardless, time spent learning is never wasted time.
2) Do
Stop analyzing, thinking, strategizing, theorizing, worrying, and just go for it. Take as step forward, no matter how small or large. Any action forward is getting you one step closer to your goals, your dreams and a better quality of life in the future.
It’s really easy to get caught up in our own heads and overthink things. We’re scared of failure, other people’s judgement, and whether we’re doing the right thing. It's okay to feel that way, this is normal, but don't let that stop you for forward progression.
As Thomas Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
The sooner we execute, the faster we learn whether we’re on the right path. If we’re not, we can adjust and move forward faster, as long as, we keep going. It’s hard to beat someone who never stops executing, trying, and bouncing back from setbacks. Eventually that person will break through and find success.
Here’s a quick tip to keep you pushing forward. Set measurable goals and track your progress. A simple daily journal or a chart on the wall will help you remember how far you’ve come. Seeing the progress will help you keep doing.
3) Sell
Every business in the world is selling something. This is an absolute fact. I don’t care what you do, you sell something. It can be items, but it is also knowledge, your company, your time.
I have come to realized that becoming a better marketer, spending time on client relationships and building my own marketing strategy is never a waste of time. This process must be constantly worked on, updated and executed.
I’m always moving forward and improving as a marketer, building more sales channels, trying new strategies and finding ways to get my products and services into the right people’s hands. The trick is to not give up, as soon as you give up you have lost.
4) The Rest
Don't forget to take time everyday to manage your business. This isn’t part of my three activities to get you 365 steps closer to your goal, but it is a necessity you can’t ignore. Don't allow you business to run you. Stay in control, if you need to hire someone to do the small stuff and take that stress off your plate, then do it.
Make sure you set your priorities straight. Choose which activities are most important to you and your business and accomplish those goals first each day. Most people are more creative and can think more clearly in the morning, so take advantage of that and concentrate on those things that are most important.
Whatever you do, don't give up on yourself and your personal dreams. If you keep learning, doing and selling every day, you'll be sure to make a significant breakthrough by the end of a year. It takes hard work and dedication to learn, do and sell every single day, but it’s worth the effort and in the end you'll be so happy that you did.
So, tell me ... What do your personal dreams actually mean to you?
