We all have dreams and goals don’t we? How do we move toward achieving them?
There you stand right at the foot of a stair case. You want to get up to the next floor. You need to get up to the next floor. You intend to go up to the next floor. This should not be a shock to you or anyone else, you must actually take the first step up the stairs before you get yourself any closer to the next floor. Then you must take the next step and the next step. This example is a physical example and most people would be able to accomplish this goal of getting to the next level.
Another physical example is going to workout on a regular basis. There is a study which shows even among people who have been told they must exercise for their health there is a high percentage who do not regularly go to exercise. A number of people do find that working with a personal trainer, where they have an appointment and have already invested in the trainer working with them, provides the accountability necessary to get them to workout. There is still a dramatic falloff after the first 60 to 90 days.
Therefore it is no wonder when we are speaking about following through on our dreams or even our goals the majority of people take no action steps toward either.
At the most basic level, if you have a thought or a dream, how are you capturing this thought, this dream, before it goes away from your current awareness and you say things like, “I cannot remember it.” A few solutions would be to speak the thought or dream into your mobile device and record it, have a pen and a pad to write on by your bedside or near you at all times. Many people practice the skill of journaling. At a specific time each day for a specific period of time they write in a journal.
Once the thoughts or dreams are captured, albeit by a small population, the review of these must take place to determine priority, reality and interest. This process is the first time certain influences may trap you. Fear, your predisposed assumptions and other influences may take you in a direction not true to your heart. You might be thinking, “Oh no way, I must play it safe. I am not doing that, ever.” Unless there is a trained professional to challenge you and your self talk, this is going to be how you respond to the majority of your thoughts and dreams.
Tell me, how do you overcome your self talk when a part of you wants to move toward a big dream?
Mitch Tublin is an advanced, certified executive and personal coach who resides in Stamford, CT.