6 Practical Tips to Go After Your Dreams
Many of us have goals - we want to go after something in our life. With that being said, everyone's goal is different. They can look like getting that PhD, writing a book, getting discovered by somebody famous, attaining mental wellness, going back to school, learning how to manage your anxiety or depression, launching your business, or getting that big power position at work. Whatever your dreams are, I’m here to encourage you to go after that thing that you want.
I know that when you want big things, sometimes you can feel stuck, or you can feel like you just can't make it. That the big dream is so out of reach. It can be tough. Sometimes you may want to move forward but you're not quite sure how. You can feel like there's no point, or, that you can't make it any further - especially if it seems like you’ve been in a rut for a long time. You may feel that your situation or your obstacles are insurmountable. In some cases, there are even real serious obstacles.
I want to give you some practical tips to help you get past some of those obstacles or find your way around them.
Firstly, don’t let anyone squash your dreams.
There's nothing wrong with being ambitious. Don’t let anyone dismiss your ambition, don't let anyone squash your dreams, and don't let anyone tell you it can’t be done. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have enough money, or you're being unrealistic.
If this is something that you want, and you're willing to put the hard work in, then go for it and see what happens. It's better to go forward with something and maybe miss that mark, instead of living the rest of your life thinking, “What if I had actually gone for it?”
So, I encourage you to go for it.
Learn how to navigate the obstacles.
It can be discouraging if the things that you want seem unattainable, there are real obstacles out there and I don’t want to sugar coat it.
If you're a single parent, you want to go back to school, but you have no one to watch the kids - that’s a real obstacle. That can be a big deterrent. If you want to go and get that project management certificate, but the classes are in the evenings after work, and there's no one to watch the kids - I want you to look at all the possibilities around you before you say it can't be done.
Suggestions: look at your community - do you have a parent close by that you have a good relationship with that's willing to watch the kids after school? Do you have a cousin close by? Do you have someone from your church who would be willing? Do you have the children's godparents who are close by? Can you afford to pay someone?
Remember, small actions lead to big achievements.
Take the steps towards the things you want, no matter how small they may be. Figure out those steps, and take them one at a time.
For example, let’s say there is a position at work that you want, which is the next level or two above your position. Start looking at those people who are in the position that you want to have. Think to yourself, how did they get to where they are today? If these are people that you can talk to, ask them: what are the requirements of getting this position? Do I need a certificate? Do I need more years of experience? Do I need to participate in certain projects? Do I need to stick my head in certain meetings? Do I need to be at certain tables in order to get to that position?
Once you have figured out what it is that is required of you, take the small steps to start to get there. You're not expected to do it overnight, but take those small steps.
Suggestions: If you need a certain amount of experience, then hold your head down, do what you have to do, and get those extra years of experience.
Find out what it takes to be sitting at those tables. If you need a certain certificate. Is that something that you can do online? Is that something that you can do after hours?
Start applying for jobs that you're hoping to get. Even if you don't get the position, the interview is going to be data for you that you can use in the future. It's going to be a learning experience. So when you go for the next interview, you'll be a little bit more prepared.
Seek mental health accommodation or extra support if you need it.
If your goals are focused on your mental health, or if your dreams are being affected by your mental health, don't let this prevent you from living your life, from getting out of bed in the morning, from taking care of your children, and from showing up reliably at work. There's help out there, in terms of accessible support.
Suggestions: try to get yourself to a doctor.
If you’re experiencing a serious mental health issue, then ask for a referral to a psychiatrist where you can get a thorough assessment.
If medications are necessary, take the medications. You do not have to suffer because of society’s stereotypes regarding medicine for your mind.
Access therapy or counseling. If you can’t afford it, there are a number of community agencies that provide therapy either for free or they operate on a sliding scale model where you pay what you can based on your income.
If you have mental health services included in your company’s insurance coverage/benefit plan, use them.
If you're on a waitlist for a community mental health agency, and they tell you, you have to wait three months, in those three months, open up your Instagram or other social media platforms. There are very, very skilled therapists out there that are offering free tips, worksheets, and suggestions to help manage your mental health.
Ask, call, see what's out there and access it so that you can move forward with your mental health. Put yourself first and access the support that you need so you can move forward and reach those goals.
Recognize the value in the waiting game
Sometimes, when you’re working towards your goals, there is a bit of a wait (whether that’s because of timing or other reasons). In fact, a lot of people have to wait in their journey before they realize their dreams. Do not despise the time of waiting. It’s in “the wait” where we prepare for our dreams to come true.
Suggestions: If you're hoping to become a big keynote speaker, start writing your speech.
If you are waiting to publish a book, start writing your chapters. Stay up until the middle of the night when everyone's sleeping or wake first thing in the morning before everyone gets up. If you commute, write your chapters on the train. If the baby has an afternoon nap, slip some pages in there.
If you are hoping to purchase a home or purchase a car, start squirrelling money away. Loose change, automatic transfers, whatever it is - start now.
If you're hoping to be a certain size, start living in the direction of that size. Start doing the exercises required. Start eating healthier, and moving your body more.
Be the person you want to become because there's going to be a time when that door to your dreams is going to suddenly open and when that door opens, are you going to be ready? Until that door opens, start doing the thing that you know you need to do.
Success is what happens when opportunity meets preparation!
Pull apart your goal and chunk it down into smaller pieces
Sometimes, our goals are big goals. And when they're so big, we can feel immobilized with fear. You will have to step out of that fear, chunk the goal down into smaller pieces, and ask yourself: “what's the first step?”
For example, if you want to get your PhD, what's the first thing that you need to do? What do you want to study? What do you want to research? Can you call the university and get some information? Can you go to the website, print off some stuff, and review it? You don't have to get the PhD tomorrow. But what is it that you need to find out? When is the deadline? What does the application look like? What are the loans that you can apply for? What are the grants that you can apply for? Are there bursaries that you can apply for?
Take it one step at a time until it’s done.
As I wrap this up, I want to leave you with this: go after the things you want in life. Stick your neck out and make the sacrifice. Do what you can right now until you get what you want. Sometimes, you need to drown out the noise and go for it. You are your own investment - if you don't go after what you want, who's going to do it for you? Don’t let your life pass you by. You’ve got this.
