Chasing Your Dreams in 12 Steps
1. Write your personal mission and vision statement
Your personal mission and vision statement define your values, who you are, and how you define success. You can use it to guide how you spend your time, interact with others, or do your job, helping you to stay focused and meet your long-term goals.
2. Decide what to do with the obstacles blocking your way
Assess any obstacles you may encounter and consider what actions can help you overcome them. Perhaps finances are one of them. Get around this difficulty by spending money wisely, making a savings plan, or taking extra work on weekends.
3. Make a plan
Upon identifying your mission and obstacles, you can now form your plan to chase your dreams. List what you need to do to bring you closer to your goals.
- Should you acquire the proper skills with an online course or a post-grad degree?
- Do you need to get accreditation from relevant agencies?
- How should you establish a business plan?
Having a step-by-step, definitive plan can guide you while working on your dreams.
4. Create S.M.A.R.T goals
To make sure your dreams are clear and reachable, they should be SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
For instance, rather than saying “I want to have a successful business,” say “My business will give me a return of 40% in its first year of operations.”
5. Break down your goals into actionable tasks
Suppose you want to establish a business. Be ready to cover all the bases, from financial to legal and marketing, to turn your business idea into reality. Start with market research, followed by securing business registrations and government permits, contacting suppliers, setting up a website, and so on.
6. Create a financial safety net
Financial security is among the biggest reasons people have reservations about chasing their dreams. After all, you’ll have to invest your money in pursuit of your aspirations – whether it be art materials, college courses, or startup capital.
Moreover, you’ll have to financially sustain yourself while you work on your aspirations – especially if you’ve quit your day job to focus on it. That is why it is advisable to create a financial safety net for yourself to act as a cushion during the rough patches when starting.
A savings plan also acts as a big psychological boost, as you’ll know that you can take more risk for yourself for in security lies freedom.
7. Start with sustainable habits
According to James Clear, creating good habits can start small until they become a regular practice or routine. Changes that seem irrelevant at first will eventually compound into remarkable results if you're willing to commit to them in the long term.
8. Continuously improve your skills
Investing in education, immersing yourself in jobs in a similar industry, and gaining relevant experiences—these steps can help progress your dreams.
If you want to be an artist, attend talent workshops or enroll in an art school. If you want to write, there are plenty of online courses and certificates that you can avail of. If you want to become a real estate agent, take review classes for a PRC agent licensure exam.
9. Put yourself out there
Putting yourself out there means grabbing every opportunity and taking experiences to help you pursue your objectives. In the words of business magnate Richard Branson, “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes—then learn how to do it later!”
Additionally, you can collaborate with industry leaders or influencers to expand your client base or followers. You can also learn best practices from them. Besides the right timing, the right connections can do wonders for your dream.
10. Surround yourself with like-minded people
Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged by skeptics. Instead, let the energy, passion, and wisdom of like-minded people inspire you to accomplish what they have done—or even surpass them.
11. Commit to your path
Total commitment helps you keep going during moments you might feel defeated. It’s no secret that as you overcome life’s setbacks, you feel more confident about your abilities such that you know what to do in every situation.
12. Sustain your dreams
One of the best ways to keep your dreams going is to make them sustainable by monetizing them. If you dream of becoming an artist, then you should sell commissioned artwork. If you’re into writing, maintaining a blog and earning through ads can help you generate some revenue.
However, there is nothing wrong with maintaining the purity of your dream by doing it solely for its sake. In those cases, you should do your best to maintain financial security, so you’ll have the freedom to keep going.
