Are you a big dreamer? Do you have a lot of dreams to conquer, and have made mistakes before regarding such dreams? Dreams can get very interesting and adventurous at times, and can be really simple at some other times. However, we need to dream to achieve. Dreaming is something we all share. Besides, it is a place we can wander too, undisturbed by anything else in our life. Always aim to dream big and think outside your comfort zone. Consider dreaming your place of escape. It is a place where you can think creatively and come up with different ideas, some of which could end up being applicable and successful.
Dreams definitely add value to one’s life and help define you as a person. If one’s dreams are all linked to becoming successful and achieving purposeful goals, then they will be perceived as a winner. On the other hand, if one’s ambitions and dreams are related to bad habits and getting in trouble to look or seem cool for example, then this person is thought of as trouble maker and an unsuccessful person. Thus, be aware of what you portray to others. We also need to dream, as it provides a sense of purpose and drive, and making use of your time, because as we all know, time is very vital.
While setting goals or dreams, we do not always wake up to bright days. Sometimes we are faced with dead ends and harsh obstacles that throw us off the track. However, we always need to make sure we stay on the track and stay focused to achieve and succeed. Dead ends could also be a test and a learning lesson for us to know how to deal with things and how to resolve bad situations.
We have to face the fact that not every dream and goal we set we will achieve, and that we will keep on making mistakes in life. However, the solution is not to stop dreaming big and outside the box and to live and dwell in our mistakes, but to always continue chasing our dreams and learn from our mistakes in an attempt to not repeat such mistakes.
So, what are some of the common mistakes we make about our dreams? There are quite a lot and we will discuss some of those throughout the article. Remember that no matter how hard life knocks you down, you need to stay strong and get back up every time this happens. This is what allows us to grow and develop as individuals.
Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid when pursuing your dreams:
1. Setting Unrealistic Goals
Did you ever think you would have to ask yourself if your goals and dreams are realistic or not? No, we usually just set goals and start working on them. Sometimes we do not notice that there are things that are standing in our way of success. When setting goals, open up your mind and use your creativity and imagination, and dream big. At the same time, when you settle on a dream, make sure it is realistic and achievable so that you can achieve it in the available time.
We need to make sure that our goals and dreams are clear, specific, relevant, achievable, and measurable. All of these aspects are important, but more important than the others is the clarity, measurability and achievability. Take a moment to write your goal down and try to be as specific as you can. Next comes the achievability element. Ensure your goal is achievable in the time frame you set, and that you have the required tools to do so.
Lastly, another important factor is the measurability. Measure your goals. Look at your progress every few weeks or months and make sure everything is going well and the method you are implementing is suitable. Let us look at an example of this. Let us say you are a sports person, and that you are motivated to achieve a beach body. It is unrealistic that weighing 100 plus kilograms, you set becoming healthier and achieving your dream body in one or two months. You need to have the necessary patience in order to succeed.
2. Using The Wrong Definition Of Success
This is one of the common mistakes we fall in when chasing our dreams and goals. We monitor and look at people around us that make it to the top and we try our best and are willing to do anything to get to their level of success and wealth. But did you ever stop to think that maybe this is not your style or something you are not passionate about? You might be thinking about in terms of money alone and not in terms of what value this goal will add to your life, but the biggest thing you are missing is that what works for others, might not work for you. You need to find your own field you are interested in, and that you are willing to go full in on in order to succeed.
You might find celebrities really successful and well established that you want to become a celebrity. Moreover, you may like the lifestyle of a certain singer that you are a big fan of. However, if you do not have the singing talent and voice, it will be really hard to pursue such a dream. You can think of a way to put yourself out there and become famous, such as making YouTube videos about a certain topic. That is what I mean by finding your own recipe of success. You do not have to follow a certain path to achieve a certain outcome.
Success is an old tree with a wide branch network, thus it is well-established and well-grounded. Using your own self-defined success scheme is important because this ensures that you are passionate about what you are doing and thus would do it with high quality. In contrast, if you follow someone else’s definition, you might not have the sufficient drive to execute the activity efficiently.
Be clear about what success is to you, and do not pay attention to what others might think of it, because if we think of what others say we will not get anywhere. Listen to other people’s suggestions, constructive criticism, and advice, especially if the advice is coming from someone with more experience and wisdom, and only make use of what you feel appropriate.
3. Having Too Many Goals
Do you feel like you have a lot of dreams and goals and that you are unable to focus on them all? Hearing this now, it sounds obvious and simple, but it is not that simple in reality. It is sometimes unnoticeable that we take on a lot of dreams and goals, more than we can take. For this, we need to make sure we take it step by step and achieve one goal at a time. You may be tempted to achieve a lot of things at once, but would you rather not achieve anything because of the business of your schedule or finish one goal at a time and transition smoothly onto your next goal?
Remember that there is only 24 hours a day and that you have this much energy per day, so use it wisely. Goals need enough time and focus to be achieved. One good strategy to use is quality of work rather than quantity. It always feels amazing to achieve more in your day, but do not get sucked in and forget about the time each goal needs.
4. Being Careless And Not Having The Correct Attitude
Are you a person that is really organized when it comes to achieving your goals and dreams or do you just go on doing them without paying attention to the details? One of the mistakes we do when pursuing our dreams is not giving it the required focus and attention. We go about our day normally and work on our goals “by the way.” We need to be dedicated and ensure that we allocate the correct amount of time for the task.
The other thing about goals is you need to have the correct attitude. Attitude is a very important key in reaching your goals. You need to remain optimistic and positive, no matter what situation you have been put in. This will help you regain confidence and comfort, even if you did not achieve your goal the first time. It is not a shame to fail at all; instead it is considered a blessing in the sense that we learn a lot from doing mistakes.
As Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, said it well, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” This quote has a significant meaning to it. Who would have the patience of waiting 10,000 times before reaching a major goal in life? Except, we are not saying that we have to wait; the deeper meaning is we need to have patience, which is part of a positive attitude, in order to succeed.
5. Not Being Committed
Did you ask yourself if you are committed and willing to put in the effort and hard work to achieve your dreams? Committed is one of the most important aspects of achieving. In most cases if not all, the more time you spend doing something the better we get at it. Dreams work the same way. The more time and dedication you allocate to your dreams, the better they will come out to be and the more you will achieve. So before starting on anything, ask yourself the following: “Once I engage in my dream, do I have the will power and drive to stay and commit until the end?”
One reason behind escaping commitments is fear. We as humans would rather continue doing the same thing; remain in our comfort zone because we know the outcome. We are afraid to exit our comfort zone in an attempt to grow, and all that goes through our minds is what people will see us as if we fail along with the pressure of that, and how we will manage the stress associated with the new success. So we would rather prefer unhappiness over the vagueness of the future. It is logical in a way, yet it is sad. This is because this forms a hurdle to our achievements. This is like going to the same restaurant each week for dinner. We need to learn the importance of growth and exploring new dishes and restaurants.
Life without goals is like driving a car with no plan; just cruising around and not knowing where you want to go. This means that you are going to continue to cruise around and remain lost. Who would like to be lost in life and not having any purpose? You are either going to end up nowhere or somewhere you would not want to go. This is why you need your GPS or compass, which are your dreams, to help you develop yourself and accomplish a lot.
On your way to your destination(s), you want to try to evade mistakes, especially common ones; mistakes that you have seen other people fall into and possibly get out of. However, if you do fall in any mistake, do not feel discouraged or beat yourself up mentally. The good part is that your chances of accomplishing are higher if you know about common mistakes and avoid them.
There are numerous mistakes we may make when setting goals or in the process of achieving them. Throughout this article, we just mentioned some of them that people fall in. The idea is not that we should not fall in mistakes, because the reality and matter of the fact is that people are going to continue to fall in mistakes. What we need to make sure of is that we learn from them and do not go back to repeating them. Also, remain positive and optimistic and never let this affect you negatively or compel you to resign following your dreams and achieving them. You are the person in control of your own life, so you take the decision of what gets to you and annoys you.
Are you actively pursuing your dreams? Tell us about them…
