I think it’s only natural to yearn for something, someplace or even someone, but for the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on something. It indicates a desire to accomplish, to achieve, to seek something that is not present within your grasp. Unfortunately, procrastination is also natural. Yearning allows us to envision the possibility of what we could have and inspire dreams that if we’re not careful, will remain as just that.
We have to begin pushing the worlds of wanting and achieving together so that we can make our yearnings a concrete reality. First, you have to devise a plan of action. To quote Katherine Peterson: “A dream without a plan is just a wish.”. Wishes are just that: immeasurable, invisible and at the end of the day, sheer fantasy.
Once you begin to take those creative visualizations and set realistic goals to achieve them, you will have put a plan of action into motion. Ask yourself the following:
1) What is it that I truly want?
This requires a lot of deep soul-searching on your part. What will probably be the most challenging aspect of this exercise is to resist the urge to ask what others might think about it. Ultimately, you will have to decide if something is right for you.
If your decision doesn’t directly impact the lives of anyone else, your dreams are your own. If you’re married and want to join the circus, you would have to consider the wishes of your spouse.
Barring that, you must decide whether you should or should not pursue a particular path. Every dream isn’t feasible, so make sure that you do the necessary ‘due diligence’ in ascertaining whether or not you should move forward on your idea(s).
2) Are my dreams achievable?
This is where your research will come in. Do you need to pursue more education to achieve this goal? Do you already have some knowledge about your desired dream that needs merely fine-tuning? Do you have the necessary resources at the ready that will help you to realize your goal? This can be financial backing and a steady support system of reliable mentors.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you do not have access to mentors. If you have access to the internet, you can find pretty much all of the help that you need. Search Google for online forums that cater to your particular interests. Facebook has thousands of groups that provide to specific interests. You will find an incredible amount of information there – – for free!
3) What steps can I employ to achieve my dreams?
The absolute worst thing that you can do is to jump in feet first and hope for the best. Just like marriage, it takes more than love to sustain it. Take your time to learn as much as you can about your chosen craft. Talk to people who are doing what you want to and succeeding at it.
Ask questions! You will be surprised at how willing people are to share their expertise and knowledge. Become a sponge that soaks up as much information as you can. Strive to become as knowledgeable about your field as you possibly can. Be the expert that you wished you’d known at the beginning of your journey.
Make the best use of your time; do not fall into the trap of putting off what you need to do to achieve your goals. Trust me. It’s not challenging to delay, delay, delay until you end up scrapping the idea altogether. Set a time in which you want to achieve your goal and then do it.
Set measurable goals to keep yourself honest. You will have to be your advocate and motivator to assure that everything gets done and on time. Isn’t that an awesome power that has been entrusted to each of us?
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