How to Stop Playing it Safe and See Your Dreams Come to Life
Dreams are a dime a dozen.
I’m not talking about the scenes that play out while your eyes are closed and your head is on a pillow, nestled under your favorite blanket and hugged by the silkiness of Egyptian blend cotton sheets.
I’m talking about the hopes and desires of your heart. The things you want to do before you die: A successful career move. Independence of a new financial gain. The house you dream of owning.
Most of the time, they appear as things you’d like to do someday.
One of these days…
When I retire…
I wish I …
If only…
How do you fill in the blanks for your dreams?
You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.― Dr. Seuss
Most people live life dreaming of the life they want to live, and as time passes, one by one, dreams slowly pop, like balloons full of hot air that have nothing left to sustain them.
Stamina to capture your dreams gives way to the ho-drum life you live and you are left wishing something was different.
You wish you had taken:
- action
- risks
- chances
- opportunities
You no longer have the will to pursue and capture your dreams.
What if you could change all that?
Stop living in fear
We all have a certain degree of fear. But, what if you put your fear to work for you instead of letting it stand between you and the dreams you have for your life? It’s time to stop letting fear be the reason you don’t act.
You can stay where you are and be paralyzed by fear or you can choose to flip that thinking on its head by putting the fear of not catching your dreams be the reason you decide to act.
Stop comparing yourself to others
You can continue to look at the success of others with envy, or you can start planning your course for success. Own who you are and own your gifts. Where your gifts and your passion come together is the place your dreams come alive. Identify your skillset and put the skills to work where your passion and talents align.
Stop letting perfectionism hold you back
Accept this: you are not going to be perfect.
Your first effort will not be perfect.
Embrace action anyway and move toward your goals.
Put perfection to bed. You can be perfect in never following your dreams. If being perfect is your goal, you don’t even have to begin.
Isn’t that why your dreams haven’t shown up already?
But…
When you realize that perfectionism has held you back, it is okay to begin by doing something, anything imperfectly, then improving upon it.
You don’t have to be perfect. You can be a little better than you were yesterday as you learn and grow.
When you start moving in spite of perfection you will see:
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. — Harriet Tubman
Stop making a big deal out of it
Your dreams are too important not to make them come to life, but you can’t work on them all at once, either. Pick one course of action and work on it until it is complete.
Take small steps.
Any forward action is better than no action.
Set a timer, if necessary, and be completely focused for a set period of time, productively pursuing your goals.
Stop procrastinating
Act today. Then make a plan to continue that action tomorrow and build upon it the day after that… and the day after that…
Daily progress will spur on your motivation.
Motivation will spur on your progress.
Progress will help you get stronger.
With strength and passion, you will continue to take one step and then another step toward your goals and dreams.
What steps will you take today to stop playing it safe so that your dreams will come to life?
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