Having had the privilege to work with thousands of individuals over the years through conferences, seminars and other avenues, I’ve realised that there’s one thing that we all have in common regardless of our age, race, gender or class.
We are all born impregnated with dreams that are ready to be birthed at some point in our lives. We’ve often heard it being said that the richest place in the world is the graveyard. This is because therein you’ll find unborn dreams, untapped talent, unfulfilled purposes, unrealised ideas and books that were never published.
One of the highlights of my journey so far was working with the youngest author in the UK. At the tender age of six, Eliza Joy -- a Ghanaian -- girl became the published author of two children’s books and then went on to win an award for her work. Through this experience, I was convinced that dreams are instilled in every one of us regardless of our age.
Having spent time in the UK and Africa, I’ve also realised that having a dream is not based on your class or how rich you are. I’ve had conversations with young people from both deprived and privileged backgrounds, and one thing they both have in common is the dreams that they possess.
Over the years, I’ve adopted the title ‘The Midwife’ due to my belief that every individual is impregnated with a dream right from birth and I’ve made it my life mission to ensure that they have an opportunity to birth the dream.
As I mentioned, every one of us regardless of our background or current situation possess a dream but along the way -- either while growing up or through challenges -- our dreams have been crushed. We’ve allowed our circumstances to dictate how far we can go in life. Our dreams have taken a backseat while we’ve just decided to go with whatever life throws at us.
Many can argue that realising a dream is easy to achieve with the right environment and support, but my viewpoint is to make the best use of what you have wherever you find yourself in life. Wherever you may be, there are resources that are available to you to help make your dreams a reality.
Having a dream is easy but turning it into reality is the difficult part. Here are some of my tips on how to realise your dreams:
1. Create a vision:
There’s a difference between having a dream and a vision but many people do not understand this. I see dreams as fantasies while visions are clearly defined destinations. For example, someone may have a dream of becoming a famous actress.
While there’s nothing wrong with this dream, it is not defined. There are different types of actresses such as Nollywood, Hollywood or theatrical ones. Your dreams must be clearly defined and specific. Rather than just having a dream of becoming an actress, clearly define which type of actress you would like to become and the level you would like to aspire toward.
This is what I refer to as a vision. A vision is something which you can see. To have a vision means that you’ve created a clear picture of where you are going and you will know one you’ve arrived. You must have both a mental and physical picture of where you are going, and there are several ways of doing this.
Some people create vision-boards while others choose to write down their visions someplace where it can be seen regularly. I have written down my vision for the next five years and placed it inside my bible, where I know that it can be viewed and read every day.
Having a clear vision also keeps you motivated and patient through tough times on the way to achieving your dreams. Whatever your dreams are, ensure that you create a clear vision that can be pursued and realised.
2. Draw out a plan:
I often find that people confuse a vision with a plan. A vision is a destination while a plan is the path you take to arrive at your destination. For example, let’s say you want to travel from Ghana to London. That is your vision, but you need a plan of action that details your mode of transport for getting to your destination.
A plan will always change but the vision must always remain the same. Using the travelling analogy once again, if you decide to travel by plane to London you may get to the airport and realise that there is a delay or your flight has been cancelled. This means that you will need to either reschedule your flight or take another airline.
Whichever option you choose to take, you will still get to the same destination -- but it will not be at the original time or the initial flight. If your dream is to start a business, ensure that you have a business plan...but remember that your plans will change based on external factors beyond your control.
3. Set clear goals:
When going after a vision, it’s important to set goals. Your goals must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based (SMART). As I mentioned earlier on, if you’re planning to travel by plane, the first thing to find out is your flight departure time. This will help you plan your journey and also set goals that will ensure that you do not miss your flight.
You will know when to pack your suitcase, set out for the airport, check in and board the plane. If you do not keep to the time for any of these goals, you may end up missing your flight. Once you have a plan for achieving your vision, set short, medium and long-term goals that will take you closer to your dream. Goals without a deadline are fantasy, so ensure that your goals are timed.
4. Surround yourself with the right people:
One of my favourite saying is “Don’t hang with chickens and expect to flyâ€Â. The people you surround yourself with will determine how far you go in life. If you are surrounded with dreamers, you will find yourself constantly going after your dreams.
I’ve seen people who shrink the size of their dreams just to accommodate the people around them, and others have totally given up on their dreams for the same reason. Similarly, I’ve met individuals who have made their dreams a reality due to the support network around them. I attribute a lot of my success to the great mentors and coaches I have in my life.
I’ve been privileged to have supportive friends and family members who are constantly pushing me to become more in life. I strongly encourage you to acquire a mentor if you do not have one, or find a coach to work with you on your journey.
5. Build partnerships:
A dream that can be achieved alone is not big enough. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learnt over the years in business is to always seek great partnerships while working on a vision. There are people out there who have a similar passion to yours and can help make the dream a reality faster than you can on your own.
6. Always seek to increase your knowledge:
As I mentioned earlier on, your plans will always change as you progress on your journey toward achieving your dreams. It’s therefore important that you never stop learning and increasing your knowledge base.
Ensure that you are always feeding yourself with information regarding the industry or field you are interested in. If you want to become an entrepreneur in a particular industry, ensure that you keep up to date with the news regarding that sector and increase your knowledge in the subject area.
As you set out on your dream journey, do remember that it won’t be easy. If it was easy, everybody would be living their dreams. However tough it may get, be committed to the vision.
Opy Onas is an international speaker, trainer, business coach, entrepreneur and author of the international bestseller titled ‘Turn Your Passion Into Your Profession’. He delivers training to individuals, small businesses and large organisations. Follow him on Facebook: Opy Onas and Twitter: @opyonas.
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