Do You See Your Dream?

Do you clearly see your dream? This is the 2nd teaching relating to John Maxwell’s Book, Put your dreams to the Test. See lesson one here. Do you know where you’re going? Having a clear vision of where you’re going is important. You may not have all the steps but having a vision for your future gives you the motivation to take them. As you work toward achieving your dream, here are five important steps.

1. BE SPECIFIC ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION

Where do you want to go? Michael Hyatt said, “If you have a clear vision, you’ll attract the right strategy. If your vision is not clear no strategy will save you.” You can see by this definition why success is a journey rather than a destination. John Maxwell says that you will never exhaust your capacity to grow toward your potential if you understand success as a journey.

Gaining clarity makes a general idea specific. It’s really as simple as just deciding what you want and consistently working toward it. Make your goal, or your end result specific. Rather than saying, I want to be one of the keynote speakers at our next sales conference. Be specific about what you’re speaking about. What’s your topic? How much time do you have? When write and work on your presentation? What will the people who attend learn?

Be specific and put it in writing: Writing things down enables you to become very clear and intentional about what you want and invites focused action. Be specific about what you want, when you want it, and even how you will feel when you receive it.

2. A DREAM DOESN’T BECOME CLEAR WITHOUT EFFORT

John Maxwell says, “Dreams require down payments. Dreams are free, but the journey isn’t. There is a price to pay.” The price is your effort. Once you’re clear about a specific goal, you must take the steps and make efforts each day to achieve it.

Do the work! It’s unfortunate but all too common that many people start but few people finish. Why is this? Most are expecting instant gratification or a quantum leap into success. But the fact of the matter is our daily habits, our daily decisions, and the small steps we take each day is what produce results. Herein lies the dilemma. Those daily seemingly insignificant steps are easy to do but they are also easy not to do. . Using a weight loss example, what daily decisions would you need to make to achieve your target? How about denying yourself sugar, eating low glycemic foods, walking or lifting weights each day, and drinking lots of purified water? Your daily routine of good habits and being consistent is what counts toward your goal.

“Master the Mundane.” It’s the daily habits for success that produce long-term results. How will you measure effectiveness if what you are measuring isn’t performed consistently? Consistently showing up each day and your effort over time produces the results you desire.

3. A CLEAR DREAM AFFIRMS YOUR PURPOSE

A clear and compelling dream gives direction and meaning to life, yet often people allow their dreams to remain vague and merely a concept or unfinished idea. As you work to clarify your dream, it will help you clearly see your purpose. John states “when your dream and your purpose are aligned you know it.”

In his book Mans Search for Meaning, Dr. Viktor Frankl endured unimaginable amounts of suffering inside Nazi concentration camps. Still, he found a way to transcend his suffering and affirm his purpose. Frankl imagined himself standing in front of a group of students in a well‐lit, warm lecture room and recalled the experience. “I imagined myself giving a lecture on the psychology of the concentration camp! All that oppressed me at that moment became objective, seen and described from the remote viewpoint of science. By this method, I succeeded somehow in rising above the situation, above the sufferings of the moment, and I observed them as if they were already of the past.”Clarifying your vision gives you a sense of purpose even through the most difficult times. Frankl’s vision and purpose kept him alive. He envisioned himself in the future, teaching about his observations in the camp and the distinctions between those who survived and who didn’t. “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” Viktor Frankl   Clarifying and focusing on your plans for the future helps you realize your dream.

4. A CLEAR DREAM DETERMINES YOUR PRIORITIES

If your dream is to run a marathon, running each day and eating right become priorities. A clear and compelling dream gives direction and meaning to life, yet often people don’t prioritize and focus on the activities they must do each day to achieve it. The more specific people are about their dreams, the more clearly they understand why setting priorities is important.

To achieve your dream, incorporate your personal values. What’s your mission statement, your true north? What outcome would you like to accomplish? Who will benefit from your vision? Your priorities aren’t just a to-do list. Effort alone won’t help you accomplish your dreams. Being intentional about your values and keeping your why central to your activities will help you prioritize and organize your schedule each day to make your dream a reality. Viktor Frankl focused on how his observations and research would add value to his colleagues in the future. 

5. A CLEAR DREAM REQUIRES A TEAM

If you want to realize your dream, you need a team to help you. It’s hard to list all the things a team can do for you. There is truth to the old cliche’ “Teamwork makes the dreamwork” or the acronym “Together Everyone Achieves More.” John Maxwell teaches about the Law of Environment.  Maxwell Leadership Certification provides you with the tools and resources to realize your dream of becoming a top speaker, coach, and trainer with a team of leaders and mentors available to support you.

Observations from John Maxwell on Teamwork.

My team makes me better than I am.
My team multiplies my value to others.
My team enables me to do what I do best.
My team allows me to help others do their best.
My team gives me more time.
My team provides me with companionship.
My team helps me fulfill the desires of my heart.
My team compounds my vision and effort.
My team empowers me to realize my dream.