Dreams and goals can coexist. Yet if you don’t distinguish them you’ll gain nothing but a mess in your own head.
So, let’s start with dreams. Dreams shall always be big, and no timeline or the expiry date is necessary in their case. To enhance your dreaming experience you can also make your dreams public, but don’t forget to keep them easy.
Now, EASY is an interesting part. And Mel Robbins puts it best: “EASY stands for Energized, Aspirational, Spacious, and Yours”.
What about goals? They are pretty much the opposite of dreams. Your goals shall be small, private, time and space-bound, and hard. HARD in this case, as Mel wisely puts it, stands for Habit, Action, Reachable, Do it anyway.
Now go through each area of your life – health, work, money, love & relationships, self-worth, mental wellness, happiness – what’s your dream in each area, and what are your goals?
Write your findings down. Then make sure that your goals are not only HARD but SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound. Each goal you have shall be a microstep towards your dream. And each dream you have shall be a contribution to the sustainability of your life.
When setting your goals ask yourself the following questions:
How will I grow from it?
What good can I sacrifice for great right now?
Am I proud of what I am choosing to do?
Who do I know that can help me with this?
Will this cost or save me time in the future?
Which of my current habits serves me most? Which serves me least?
Whose expectations am I trying to fulfill – my own or those of someone else?
Is it truly productive or just feels productive at the moment [which usually ends up wasting time & energy]?
What can I work on today that will continue working for me years from now?
When envisioning your dreams ask yourself the following questions:
What would 10-year-old me say + What would 80-year-old me say?
How will I know if my beliefs are wrong?
What does this make possible [a question that may help reveal the positive side of the current and future moments]?
If someone could only see my actions & not hear my words, what would they say are my priorities?
What am I avoiding just because the desired outcome would take longer than I’d like?
What would some of the alternative routes look like [assuming that more than one path exists to my dream]?
What would I cut out [imagining each day is only 12 hours long]?
Which areas of my life are in maintenance mode? Which areas are in growth mode?
To have a solid plan you shall have HARD and SMART goals. And to be motivated to act on your goals you shall have EASY dreams.