The Power of a Dream and Why it is Important to Dare to Pursue Your Goals

If you are goal-oriented, it is likely you are used to pursuing your dreams. A goal is just a dream with a date on it and our ability to bring our dreams to life is directly related to the number of times we're happy to get back up when we've been knocked down.

Forget the "It's Just a Dream" Mentality

I learned an incredible life lesson at the age of 12. At school, we used to play football every lunchtime. There were various formats according to how many players we could muster up. Sometimes, there were only three of us and the game we played was called "3 and in". Essentially, the player who scored 3 goals first then went "in" goals. Without wishing to be boastful, I was definitely the best player of the three who played this game regularly. However, I had an attitude of "it's just a game" and, accordingly, I seldom won.

The life lesson is to take your dreams seriously. Don't undermine them completely by saying they are "just a" dream. This is your dream, something you would love to be a reality in your life. By all means have fun while you pursue your dream, but put serious effort in.

What Happens When You Pursue Your Dreams?

By contrast, there have been many times when I have decided that a dream was worthy of real effort and, correspondingly, I made great progress. I managed to emerge from a run-of-the-mill comprehensive school with a bunch of qualifications, obtained a First Class degree from St. Andrews and landed a fantastic first real job with Andersen Consulting. Each one was a significant goal contributing to my dream of travelling the world with my job.

Are you pursuing your dreams?

What's Stopping You? The Fear Factor

Before you answer that question, be honest, do you have a goal or two at the moment?

Many people hesitate to set goals saying that they just want to see what life gives them, but the reality is, this just doesn't work. Sure, if you live in a first world country, you can drift for a long time and "get by" but you won't feel the satisfaction of achievement or the exhilaration of going all out shoot for your dream.

What holds many back is one of two fears, the fear of failure and the fear of success. Fear of failure prevents many from starting and fear of success is usually accompanied by self-sabotage when the goal is in sight. 

Conclusion & Final Words of Encouragement that Will Help You Get Started on Your Dream Project Right Away!

Human nature is a complex thing. We're all the result of the circumstances in which we were raised, the people we have listened to and the thoughts we perpetuate. Whether you experience failure of near success next, just see it as a learning opportunity and keep going. Ask yourself, what am I resisting? Is it true? Is it real?  Listen to your heart for the answer and dare to take action on your dream.