How to Go for Your Dreams

Everybody has dreams, even if they're buried deep inside childhood fantasies. Maybe it's time to rediscover them and make them come true. After all, nothing is more fulfilling than achieving a personal goal that you have set for yourself. Whether your aspirations are humble or monumental, achieving your dreams is the best route to happiness and satisfaction.Steps Get in touch with your dreams. What do you fantasize about doing with your spare time? What extraordinary future makes you feel a little bit more alive when you imagine yourself in it? What did you dream about when you were a child? Think about it and write it all down. Ad Read books or check out websites relating to your dream. For example, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland decided to follow her dream of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the world. She wrote the book Unsinkable (Thomas Nelson, 2011) about her experience. Steep yourself in the stories of people who have done or are doing what you want to do. See how they followed their own dreams, and take notes to learn how you can do the same. Establish a community. Make sure you have other people to talk to about your goals that will support you and not doubt your dreams. If there is no one in real life, try sites that let you become friends with people who will not only care about your dreams, but hold you accountable to them. But no matter what, have someone there that truly cares. Identify mental obstacles that stand in the way of your dreams. For example, maybe you've always dreamed about becoming a painter, but you were too worried about what people think, or about not making enough money. In this case, your obstacles are ego and finances. Ask yourself honestly: What's most important, achieving my dreams, getting respect from my peers, or being financially secure? If I had to choose between my dreams and my other concerns, what would I choose? Make changes in your life. If you're not already working towards your dreams, you're probably trapped in a cycle that keeps you locked away from them. Break the cycle. For a lot of people, that means changing careers. (Read How to Switch Careers.) Set clear, inspiring goals. Goals are like pillars that support your dreams. TipsDiscovering your dreams is an ongoing process. Often, as you try to make your dreams a reality, you learn more about what you want. For example, you might have dreamed about becoming a vet, but in the middle of vet school, you may realize that your dreams involve training animals rather than treating them. Don't be scared to adjust your course as you learn more about yourself and what you want out of life.Keep moving forward and live in the now. If you have trouble letting go of something in the past, e.g. something you feel bad about, then write it down on some paper and then destroy the paper — ripping, shredding, anything, as long as it's gone and you can move forward to follow your dream.Close your eyes and imagine what you want. For example, you want to play football. Close your eyes, relax, and imagine yourself playing football. Visualize your goal.Remember the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt — "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."You can provide yourself with an extra measure of motivation by using the Best Me Technique of self-hypnosis to pre-experience the rewards of a long-term goal, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for "will power."Never let someone fill your head with doubt.Believe in yourselfWarningsNever lose focus if something that appears better comes along.Most people give up without realizing how close they were to accomplishing their dreams. Don't be this person.Know a better way to Go for Your Dreams? Add your method below!How to Go for Your DreamsEverybody has dreams, even if they're buried deep inside childhood fantasies. Maybe it's time to rediscover them and make them come true. After all, nothing is more fulfilling than achieving a personal goal that you have set for yourself. Whether your aspirations are humble or monumental, achieving your dreams is the best route to happiness and satisfaction.Steps Get in touch with your dreams. What do you fantasize about doing with your spare time? What extraordinary future makes you feel a little bit more alive when you imagine yourself in it? What did you dream about when you were a child? Think about it and write it all down. Ad Read books or check out websites relating to your dream. For example, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland decided to follow her dream of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the world. She wrote the book Unsinkable (Thomas Nelson, 2011) about her experience. Steep yourself in the stories of people who have done or are doing what you want to do. See how they followed their own dreams, and take notes to learn how you can do the same. Establish a community. Make sure you have other people to talk to about your goals that will support you and not doubt your dreams. If there is no one in real life, try sites that let you become friends with people who will not only care about your dreams, but hold you accountable to them. But no matter what, have someone there that truly cares. Identify mental obstacles that stand in the way of your dreams. For example, maybe you've always dreamed about becoming a painter, but you were too worried about what people think, or about not making enough money. In this case, your obstacles are ego and finances. Ask yourself honestly: What's most important, achieving my dreams, getting respect from my peers, or being financially secure? If I had to choose between my dreams and my other concerns, what would I choose? Make changes in your life. If you're not already working towards your dreams, you're probably trapped in a cycle that keeps you locked away from them. Break the cycle. For a lot of people, that means changing careers. (Read How to Switch Careers.) Set clear, inspiring goals. Goals are like pillars that support your dreams. TipsDiscovering your dreams is an ongoing process. Often, as you try to make your dreams a reality, you learn more about what you want. For example, you might have dreamed about becoming a vet, but in the middle of vet school, you may realize that your dreams involve training animals rather than treating them. Don't be scared to adjust your course as you learn more about yourself and what you want out of life.Keep moving forward and live in the now. If you have trouble letting go of something in the past, e.g. something you feel bad about, then write it down on some paper and then destroy the paper — ripping, shredding, anything, as long as it's gone and you can move forward to follow your dream.Close your eyes and imagine what you want. For example, you want to play football. Close your eyes, relax, and imagine yourself playing football. Visualize your goal.Remember the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt — "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."You can provide yourself with an extra measure of motivation by using the Best Me Technique of self-hypnosis to pre-experience the rewards of a long-term goal, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for "will power."Never let someone fill your head with doubt.Believe in yourselfWarningsNever lose focus if something that appears better comes along.Most people give up without realizing how close they were to accomplishing their dreams. Don't be this person.Know a better way to Go for Your Dreams? Add your method below!