Turn Your Dreams into Reality: The Ultimate Guide

We all have dreams. The ones we keep secret and hope one day we’ll finally work on, and make come true. What holds us back is how daunting they can be. They seem too big or impossible to become reality for many reasons. But what if there was a way to make them come true? What if you had a step-by-step guide to turning your dreams into a reality? There is. Keep reading and we’ll show you how.

First things first

You need to lay out your plan. You need to define your dream. Be clear about what it is exactly that you dream of and want to achieve. What does your dream look like? Ask yourself what your vision is. Write it down. Putting pen to paper will help you stay focused and motivated. And more than that, once you’ve written it down, it becomes real and not just something in your imagination that you can’t hold yourself to.

The plan

Now that your dream is defined, the next step is to draw up a plan to achieve them. Have you ever heard the question, ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ at first glance, it seems insurmountable right? Where do you begin? Can you even finish it? The answer is ‘yes, you can’. The answer is you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

• Set clear goals: be specific and clear. Make them measurable and set a time frame for ticking these off your list.

• Break it down: the idea is you need to break your dream down into smaller, bite-sized, and achievable pieces.

• Identify potential obstacles: what challenges do you anticipate getting in your way?

• Find solutions: what steps can you take to overcome these challenges and obstacles?

• Take the first bite: take the first step towards your dreams.

Take small steps every day to get you closer to the dream. And remember to track your progress as you go. This helps you stay on course and reevaluate if your plan is working. And if not, the course of action to take to fix things.

Put in the work

Yes. Dreams don’t magically happen. They need work. In the same way as you don’t simply win the lottery, you need to go out, pick your numbers, and pay for the ticket. No one is going to make your dream come true for you. It’s all up to you. Everything worth having is worth fighting for, right? Imagine the sense of pride and achievement you’ll feel when you start seeing the results. You need to develop a strong work ethic, go the extra mile, let go of the excuses and work.

Be prepared to make sacrifices

The reason many people don’t go after their dreams is that they aren’t willing to sacrifice. Understandably so. It’s not easy and perhaps also why only a handful of people live out their dreams. If your dream is to own your own house then you need to make financial sacrifices to pay that deposit which means cutting back on nights out, shopping for a cute top or game, or simply spending without a second thought. Sacrifices don’t mean that this will be your life forever. But it does mean that for a short while, you won’t get to enjoy all the little pleasures. Remind yourself you will be able to do so again soon.

Surround yourself with the right people

“You’re the average of the five people spend the most time with”, Jim Rohn. This is true not just when you’re pursuing your dreams but for everything you do in life. And there are layers to it.

• Remove the negative: this doesn’t mean cutting people out of your life but means you could spend less time with those who discourage you or give you reasons to quit.

• Find your experts: go out and find people that you look up to and who are successful or experts in their field. These people don’t have to have travelled your exact path, but they have tried (and failed), learned lessons along the way, and stayed par for the course. Seek their counsel, ask questions, and ask them to share their secrets to success.

• Build your community: these are your friends and family who not only share your dream and want to see you succeed but are willing to help you and carry the cost of your sacrifices. These people will encourage you along the way and offer support along your journey.

• Ask for help. There is no shame in recognising you don’t know the answers, which next step to take, or what to do. Nobody has all the answers at the start of the journey.

Keep your eye on the prize

You are bound to face challenges. You may get discouraged and want to quit. It will get hard, and you’ll most likely start doubting yourself and wonder if the dream really is worth it. It is.

Quitting is easy. Everyone does it. But this is where you get to dig deep, prove your mettle, and show just how much you want this dream. When you are tempted to quit, remember why you started and look at the progress (remember what we mentioned about tracking your progress?) you’ve made. If you fall, pause (don’t stop), and get back up and keep going. Remember that every step you take is taking you closer to your dream. And if you aren’t sure you have what it takes to go after your dreams, take our workplace personality assessment below. This quick and easy assessment tests your strengths, and weaknesses, and helps you discover more about who you are.