Transforming Dreams into Action in 3 Steps: Use this Guide

Life seems chaotic right now but if you close your eyes you can still see it...your dreams. Dreams are personal. They are your heart's desires and aspirations, and no one can take them away from you. You define them. You pursue them. You achieve them. Sounds simple enough, right? But dreams need planning and execution. They need goals and action. And they need motivation.

Thinking back as a child, dreams were abundant and there was no shortage of taking risks, experiencing failure, and living in the moment. However, as we grow older our curiosity begins to narrow, our big dreams become scarce, and the fear of failure takes over. We fall complacent and safe. It happens to all of us.

If you hit a wall, it is possible to wake up your dreams, set some goals, and take action to dramatically shift your life and focus.

3 steps to get from a Dream to a Goal and push yourself to take Action?

1. Define & Visualize Your Dreams

Redefining Dreams

Dreams are more than the stories in our sleep. A dream is a spark that exposes our passions in life. To think of it another way, dreams are where it all starts.  Dreams have no limitations and no roadblocks. So how big or small should your dreams be? All dreams are exceptional. Ultimately, it is your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You define it. You pursue it. You achieve it.

How To Visualize Your Dreams

Ask yourself this question…”What are the dreams that are lighting up my heart and will not subside?” The voice inside my head that is too loud to ignore. Close your eyes, open your mind, your dream is waiting.

Once you have your dream, occasionally doubt sets in. Can I possibly achieve this? Where do I begin? It all starts with a decisive vision. A vision so vividly clear that it resembles a scene out of your life. For example, if your dream is, I want to be in the best health of my life, then your vision is to see yourself healthy, with a clear mind, eating good food, loving the clothes you wear, working hard to exercise, comfortable in the skin you are in, and the energy you feel. Be confident and precise in your vision. This vision will train your mind to find a path even if you think that you took a wrong turn. Always remember what is waiting for you at the end of the rainbow.

After you define your dream and have a decisive vision, you need to set some goals.  

2. Goals Are The Journey

How Are Goals Different From Dreams?

Many would agree with the poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “Life is a journey, not a destination”. If your dream is the pot of gold, then your goals are the journey. We use goals to achieve the milestones that get us closer to our dreams.

Without goals, there would be no pursuit, no wins, no struggles, no losses, and no learning. They are the driving force behind our lives.

Be Specific on Your Goals

Dreams are daring, audacious. Goals are specific and measurable. You either achieve them or you do not. It can be that simple. Your goals are on target and achievable. For example:

• Give up sugar for 30 days
• Run a half-marathon
• Exercise every day for at least 30 minutes

Without a doubt, you will struggle. You will give up. You will fail. It is all part of learning and growing. However, set goals that are realistic for your life. You can modify your goals and gain a few small wins, then increase your goal threshold as your confidence grows.

Modified Goals

• Give up sugar for 7 days
• Run a 5K
• Exercise 3 days a week

Goals hold you accountable and should be written down so you can track your progress. Telling a partner or friend about your goals and/or posting it on social media will ultimately have you thinking twice about quitting on yourself.

Once you have established your goals, the biggest challenge comes next; taking action. 

3. Take Action and Accept Failure

Taking Action Is The Most Important Step

Actions are the workhorse tasks that make it all possible; the every day, get out of bed, hustle and move. Without specific action items, there would be no attempts to achieve our goals and fulfill our dreams. Execution is perhaps the hardest part of a life plan and goes without recognition or praise but the hard work that you put in is where the real growth happens.

Why do we procrastinate in life? The to-do list is supposed to keep us organized and on task, but sometimes we catch ourselves jotting lists on a post-it note or an old flyer. No strategy, no direction, no order of importance. 

Below are common problems with to-do list procrastination and some possible solutions:

Problem: Sometimes we put too many unrelated or unimportant items on the top of our list just to get it out of our heads. Then, we neglect the actions needed to reach our goals.

Solution: Pick 1-3 top actions that need to be completed first, before anything else. Also, learn to say no to the tasks that do not serve you or do not have a direct impact on your goals.

Problem: We don’t schedule important tasks.

Solution: If you have an important task that has not been completed, schedule time for it on your calendar and the chances of completion will increase.

Problem: We use the wrong words. For example, "gym".

Solution: Be specific with your words. Try using, "Sign up for 6:30 am yoga", and schedule it on your calendar.

Every day of your life, you will fight inaction. Taking action requires motivation, intention, and a bigger purpose to get us to move. Only your dreams and goals can fulfill that need.

Life Detours (aka Failure)

Each of us has a life roadmap that will evidently change course and we must adapt. It is hard. It is frustrating. But accepting change and holding on to our decisive vision is part of the journey. We will get stuck if we do not accept failure and learn from our mistakes. The detours in life are perhaps given to us because the original path is broken or being repaired. We must then challenge ourselves to understand why we need this new, unfamiliar path to get us closer to our dreams and then stop at nothing to reach our destination.

When our dreams, goals, and actions are connected, true magic happens but you must be intentional. The intent behind using the visualization (your right brain) and writing down your goals (your left brain) has been studied and proven to work. Try it. Open your curiosity, dream big, embrace the journey, take action, accept failure, try again, learn, grow, and find your pot of gold.

Do you need help with a life plan? You can find tons of helpful tools and templates online but if you are looking for the Life Goals Plan printable I created and use for my dreams and goal planning, try this one here.