How to dream big: learn to stretch yourself
I have noticed lately that some people don’t even know how to create really big dreams for themselves. Now, my idea of ‘big’ may vary compared to Richard Branson’s or Donald Trump’s but really all you need to learn is how to make sure that you stretch yourself. This should feel uncomfortable. If not, your dreams may be too safe. Choose goals that – if you were to accomplish them – would really change your life for the better. Even if you miss out on your timeframe slightly you will still be getting ahead by working towards something desirable that you can measure.
The great Martin Luther King did not say, I have a strategic plan” he said, I have a dream.” As I am a very visual person I found that instead of writing my goals down I preferred to use a technique called ‘Dream Boarding’ which is where you take a large piece of cardboard and stick pictures of all the different dreams and goals you are wanting to achieve in the different areas of your life. In other words, you create a ‘Vision Board’. Dream Boards are a lot more fun than a business plan and can be a great way to involve the whole family in your goals and create one together as well as individually. The subconscious mind does not know the difference between what’s real and what’s not, so trick it into believing you are already living the life you dream of through visualisation. I stick my vision boards up on the back of the toilet door or the wardrobe in my bedroom. That way it is in my awareness every time I walk past and glance at it. Some amazing things have happened to me over the years I have been using them.
Dream Boards are a lot more fun than a business plan and can be a great way to involve the whole family in your goals and create one together as well as individually.
If you don’t have a list of dreams or a vision board it is never too late. Yes, it takes time but only ten minutes. So stop putting it off and do it right now or block out ten minutes in your diary in the next three days and save this article for later reference.
Once you have set your goals the most important step is figuring out how you can achieve them. My secret weapon is being a master implementer and it is no different with goal achievement. First, I start by writing a list of goals, randomly writing down everything and anything like a giant wish list. I then ask myself the questions, Am I just curious about my potential goal or am I dedicated to achieving it?” and I think this is a fabulous way of looking at things. For example, when I last sat down to write a fresh list of goals (which I try to do twice a year) I wrote about 20 goals down and I noticed at the bottom of the list was lose weight and get a relationship. The fact that they were at the bottom of the list rung alarm bells!
So I asked myself if I was dedicated or just curious about them. To be honest, the last thing I need right now is a man so I decided to scratch it from the list and focus my time and energy on the goals that I was truly dedicated to achieving. Once I had my list down to two major goals and several minor ones I decided this was more than enough for the next quarter.
You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with hundreds of goals and you don’t want to end up doing them all half heartedly. You want to truly commit to the goals that you want to achieve with all your passion and drive.
Once you’ve decided on your goals, the next step is to break them down into daily and weekly tasks. For example, if your goal was to lose weight, some tasks may be to exercise daily and to follow a healthy eating plan. In breaking down your goals, you are coming up with the steps you need to take to be able to achieve your goal. You need to prioritise these actions and diarise them into your calendar as appointments. Then you need to review them. Keep them top of mind, make time weekly to check in with how you’re going and if you’re on track. A great suggestion is to keep the list on your computer as a screen saver.
Lastly, you need to surround yourself with your goal. By this I mean, have photos on a visual dream board of your goal, visualise how your life will be when you achieve your goals. If for example, you’re wanting to lose weight, fill your home with books on weight loss and healthy food. No matter what your goal is, immerse yourself in it. Live it, breathe it, be it!
Kirsty’s four steps to goal setting
Step 1 is to decide what you are committed to achieving
Step 2 is to break your goals down to measurable tasks
Step 3 is to review them weekly
Step 4 is to surround yourself with your goals.
