Just about everyone who achieves great things in life dreams of success first and gains words of motivation from those dreams. Knowing what you want helps you through the tough times and gives direction when you need it.
Most people however believe dreams are silly and indefinite and refuse to admit they dream at all but the truth is we all dream in some way. The key is to pin down what those dreams are and they then become easier to achieve. There are six rules to consider as you attempt to discover what it is you want.
1. No Restrictions
There is a song in the musical ‘Joseph’ that says ‘Any dream will do,’ and frankly, if the dream is important enough than it will do. Never dismiss a dream as being silly or impossible.
The greatest achievements in history have come about from a dream. The pyramids were somebody’s dream once, as were black rights in America fifty years ago. What was it Martin Luther King said? “I have a dream.”
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail? If achieving something would make you happy then it is good enough.
2. Do Not Let Anyone Else Set Your Dreams
Be selfish. Let other people identify their own dreams. Understand what it is YOU want. You will achieve nothing attempting to satisfy other people.
If you have a spouse or partner, set your own aims and then discuss with him or her what your shared ideals will be: but you do need your own dreams.
For years I thought I had to expect to lie on some exotic beach somewhere or go for a cruise. I tried to give myself words of motivation to achieve this to no avail. Then suddenly I realised these were not my dreams, they were expected of me. Sorry. I want something else.
If you do want these things however, that is okay. It is your dream after all, not mine.
3. Do Not Consider How You Will Achieve Them
If you specify what it is you want the way to achieve it will become clear to you. You have to have faith in that. Jim Rohn said, “When you know what you want and you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way to get it.”
4. List Your Dreams On Paper
Spend some quiet time on your own, think about what you want from life and write it down. Doing this allows you to clear your mind until the next idea comes to mind. You then have the opportunity to return to the results later for further reflection.
You need to capture your ideas when you can. You will end up with a blueprint of your life so it would be criminal to lose track of the thoughts. When I tried this, the ideas came in a burst so writing them down brought some order to the creative chaos.
In any case, there is something magical about writing aims down. It seems to bring them closer to becoming reality.
Never write a long description either. Being too detailed will stem the flow of ideas; just jot down enough words to remind you later. For example, if you have always wanted that brilliant red Ferrari 458, then just write ‘Ferrari 458’ and you will remember all the details later. Motivational phrases are often short!
5. Dream Big Dreams
Big ambitions will get you excited. Somehow a greater dream has more attraction. Let your imagination go wild. No restrictions.
I cannot imagine that Usain Bolt wanted to be any thing less than the fastest man in the world, for example. Did Lance Armstrong set out to ride down to the shops? Where would we be if Nelson Mandela had decided he could not make a difference to South Africa?
There is a good reason why David J. Schwarz called his classic book ‘The Magic Of Thinking Big.’ He said, “How big we think determines the size of our accomplishments.”
Bear in mind, however, that once you have identified your big goals, you should also set smaller goals as stepping-stones to achieve on the way. The achievement of these will give you continual motivation along the way.
6. Get to Know Your Dreams
Once you have a list of your aims in life, find out all you can about them. Get out and touch them if you can.
Go online and find all the details you can. Doing this will make it all seem that much more real. But you can do more. If you want something tangible, such as a car or a boat or a house, go and look at it. Get the brochures. Go for a test drive. Touch it. Feel it.
It is an interesting fact that most salesmen are delighted when people take an interest in their products. I dream of owning a TVR sports car and have driven a few simply by going into the showroom. I spoke to a salesman at the headquarters of Sunseeker powerboats once and he told me that he had been giving brochures to one man for some time before the same person turned up and bought a boat for cash. Was the salesman happy to let me have a brochure? Of course he was.
By now you should have a clearer view of what you want. Positive dreams have a remarkable power. Identifying them puts you that much closer to achieving them. Somehow they seem real and possible. Apply the six rules to your dreams and you will have all the words of motivation you need to achieve the success you desire.