Dream, Plan & Execute

For the most part, we all have dreams. The average person will end up not achieving their dreams but will probably still do alright. There is a fine line between dreaming and actually living the dream in the positive light in which you envisioned your dream. An even fewer percentage that do get to come close to living their dream may get sidetracked from the 'why' of the purpose of their dream.

Now, a dream could be anything. It could an ambitional deam which might include owning your own business, getting on the forbes 100, becoming a reknown actress, worldwide envangelism and so on. However, there is nothing such as a small dream. We all dream of less ambitious but albeit impotant to us things, such as weight loss, finding our perfect life partner, having 3 children and so on. Whatever your dream(s) may be, realise that your ability to dream is your first step towards your journey of executing your dream. So, we all know what our dreams are, yet why is the majority settling for the next best deal offered by the push and pull of a pyramid society?

You and your dream.
There is a difference between a dream and a fanstasy. A 45 year old man with no experience in the music industry trying to become a rapper with 4kids and 3 grandson is having a fantasy and needs a reality check. Please understand that there are some situation where although present sitution might make a dream seem like a fantasy , it doesnt necessarily make it one. A college drop out trying to invent a scientific product is a noteworthy dream, NOT a fantasy. You have to be able to assess your dream and be commited to your dream. I have seen so many people in various industries that had the passion for their dreams only for me to catch up with them a few years later and they are now pursuing another . If you hop from dream to dream, from project to project, you will probably end up not achieving anything at all. Can you sit down and say..'Look, this is my dream, this is what I want to do and I am prepared to be commited to this for the rest of my life. think of it this way, imagine having a dream as a job. If I were to walk up to you today and say 'Sign this contract, the contract says that you are to pursue your dream for the rest of your life and nothing else'..Would you hesitate? If you do hesiate, you are not ready to walk the walk for your dream. Give up now. There are a million other people with that same dream you have who will travel continents and sacrifice at a drop of a hat. Dont leave your dream too late either. Identify your dream and act. If you are a parent, instill this knowledge into your children and give them an advantage over their peers.

The right plan.
A dream is just a dream until you are living your dream. The journey in between, however, could be a tedious road full of surprise, highs and lows, unexpected turn of events, turmoil of emotions and painful lessons learned. The only thing you should not have is regrets. If you have regrets for following your dreams, it was probably just a fantasy and not a dream in the first place.
As we all know, failing to plan is a sure fire way of guaranteeing your failure. Any one who is serious enough to follow their dream whole heartedly should have a detailed and thoroughly researched plan. For example, if you wish to start a franchise of auto sales, your plan should detail more than getting a shop and hoping to sell one or two cars a month. You would need extensive research, estimaed costs, backup plans, resources, staff and a host of other things. Remember, just because you are deeply commited to your dream and have so much passion for it does not necessarily mean you will achieve your dreams , however, you would be on the right path to succeeding. If you cannot full-proof your plan to a certain degree, you might want to research more and make a more reasonable and suited plan. Another thing to consider is that most dreams require some capital, others, not as much. Ask questons such as 'do i have the means to get funding?', ' Do I have good enough credit to be assisted by financial institutions?'.
Secondly, do not be afraid to network and speak to people with similar dreams and ambitions. Networking is a key tool of any research. The wrong use of contacts could make or break your dream. Always research the reputation of all those linked financially or otherwise to your dreams to make sure they are not a move in the wrong direction. You will need to be able to detect frauds and move on quick.
Thirdly, you need to dispose of negativity around you. We have all heard of that one person's famous story where they say ' They said I would not make it..'. Surround yourself with people who are able to advice you positively and are genuinely interested in the growth of your dream. Believe it or not, these people may not even be family members. Infact, research shows that family can be a major negative force in achieving your dreams. You will need to become self motivated. You may have to put in more work hours or you my need to quit your job, but be aware that this is the stage that will make the most sense to you but will probably make no sense to an outsider looking in.
Lastly, once you have put all the effort and hardwork into making a plan and you are grounded in the basics of whatever field you are looking to break into, once you have a growing list of contacts, mentors, teachers and resources, you are half way there. Dont start to doubt yourself. most people dont actually make it to this stage and you have. Its now time to move on to executing the plan. Be prepared for anything but be determined to break through, not break even.

Art of Execution.
The mistake that some of those who actually get to the planning stage make is that they never execute it. This might be due to many reasons but for most part it is either a) Lack of commitment, or b) An inadequate plan. I cannot stress enough that if you cant be commited to one dream for the rest of your life, there is no point even trying to go for it. Give up now before it is 20 years later and you realise you have been dreaming all these years without proper planning and hence, no execution. Also, if your plan is faulty you cannot execute it. This is why it is important to go through your plan with people experienced in the field you are venturing into, ask question, read books, research, review your plan with a mentor, compare success stories etc. Now I am not saying that nasty surprises dont apear every now and again in the execution of your dream, however, an adequate plan would have numerous monthly back up plans for the 'just in case' moments.
Be ready to sacrifice, not 'sell out'. For example, if you are a model and was given a 1M a year contract subject to shaving/cutting your hair to achieve a certain look, please, suck it up and shave it off. If you have to whine or hesitate even though getting a 1M a year contract was your dream..then, honestly, you almost dont deserve it. I always tell people that dont change your main foocus or 'sell-out' in the hopes of achieving some bootleg version of your dreams. However, some things are more like sacrifices , for example, if the model above was given a 1M a year contract to pose nude for playboy, if this goes against everything she believes in, then she should not. There are more deeoper issues underlining a nude, playboy type model, for example, you will NEVER be able to do high fashion..not really. Sacrifices will have to be made, make no mistake about it.
Make daily, monthly, weekly and monthly targets for yourself and stick to the targets. Dont start falling behind on your deadlines. If you planned to loose 100lbs by working out twice a day on a calorie controlled diet, dont start working out once a week and chugging down the good old mcdonalds big meal with chocolate milkshake.
Keep ON TOP of your network. Sometimes, your big break into your dreams could happen through someone you least expect. Try to manage an address book and include little details like their birthday, address, their wife's name and where they were born. This way you can send them a christmas or birthday gift and they will be shocked that you remembered. This little gesture can go a LONG way.
Lastly, believe in yourself. Look, you are already in the execute stage. You are almost there, keep on top of your plan and your dream will probably soon become reality.