If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
I have written before about doing what you love and the money will follow. But what if the thing you love is something you are not able to do? Or something that seems downright impossible. Should you do it anyway?
Well, you should follow your dreams. But the key to achieving those dreams is to be realistic about it. Dreams are not hard to achieve as long as they are realistic. By being realistic, I am not saying you should be “negative” or talk yourself out of a dream. But you know the old adage “you can do anything if you put your mind to it”? On the surface, it’s true. But in reality…
it’s rubbish.
Some things you just can’t achieve with your mind only
If you’re 4’6”, you aren’t going to be an NBA center. That’s just a cold hard fact. Maybe you are more suited as a horse jockey. Same with someone who is 7’2”. He’d be much better off playing basketball than as a horse jockey.
But being realistic doesn’t mean that your dreams are impossible. Being realistic means you must create goals that give you a fighting chance to achieve. Think about it for a second. One movie I liked was the movie “Rudy” about a kid who wanted to play football for Notre Dame.
He had NO physical gifts for the game. But he had a big heart. What was his dream? To play on the team. A big dream to be sure. But was his dream to be a starter? Nope. He knew there was no way he could do it. Was his to be a backup? Nope. Rudy’s dream was just to play. So, he tried out for the practice team. And he achieved that goal and more by playing in one play of one game, this becoming an “official” member of the team.
If he had not been realistic about his chances for making the team, he never would have made it. The beauty of the story is that he had a big dream. But he was realistic enough to find a way to make that dream a reality.
Most Goals are Possible to Achieve
And in the vein of being realistic, most goals are easier to accomplish than you think. But even more important, don’t be afraid to go after them.
This goes for jobs too. You know if you’re in a dead-end job. Look around and pursue something that you can do. Don’t wait around for your life to be handed to you. Go out and do it.
Most of the time we talk ourselves out of doing something different because we set our goals so high, they look impossible. Big dreams are easier to accomplish than you think. You just have to be realistic in how you achieve it.
Have No Regrets
Have no regrets. Think of the hundreds of thousands who try out for “American Idol” every year. Most of them don’t make it. But at least they tried. At least, they went for their dreams. Don’t look back on your life and ask what could have been. It’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.
When you’re looking back on your life, don’t wonder what might have been. Don’t let fear stop you from trying. Most people do not regret failing, but all of us regret not trying.
Set a New Goal Today
There is a ton of opportunity out there. Everyone here has a chance to achieve their dreams. So, whether it’s music, acting, writing, even being a politician, go for it before it’s too late.
Write down your goal right now. And then ask yourself what is one step you can take to make that goal a reality. Look at it realistically. Break it down into smaller steps. But don’t be afraid to dream big. I find that the bigger the goal is the more inspired you’ll be. Just like Rudy wanted to play for Notre Dame. He achieved his big dream. And he found the way to make it a reality,
You can do it too.
Did you find this helpful? Consider buying me a cup of coffee.Popularity: 45% [?]
Email This Post
Topics: Goals |
Rate This Post:
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Related Posts
4 Responses to “Realism: The Key to Achieving Your Dreams”
Comments
« Dying 47-Year-Old Professor Gives Exuberant Last Lecture | Home | The Importance of Embarassment in Personal Growth »
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:36 am
[…] Gift wrote an interesting post today on Realism: The Key to Achieving Your DreamsHere’s a quick […]
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 am
Two thumbs up!
October 5th, 2007 at 6:57 am
Looking back, just about the only goals I haven’t achieved are the ones that weren’t realistic to begin with. We shouldn’t set ourselves up for failure.
I’m looking forward to your participation in the Desiderata series. Hope to hear from you soon.
October 6th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Nice post. I’d add: And break big goals down into little goals you can achieve in a sensible time frame. Success breeds success.