10 Ways to turn your dream into a reality.

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Have you ever had an idea that lit you up so much you could feel it in your entire body?

You feel this electric pulse course through your veins. Your heart starts beating faster, your limbs are the best kind of tingly, AND you can’t help but notice the corners of your mouth pull north as a smile takes over your face.

But then your mind drifts to the glass half empty portion of your brain where that turd of a voice (we’ll call her Sabotage Sally) starts getting louder and louder…

“Hey, Kid…that’s a pretty big dream, and look at all your obligations.”

or maybe she said,

“You’re totally not good enough to do that, shame on you for even thinking you could get there”.

I don’t know about you, but my Sally is a bit more harsh and definitely needs her mouth washed out with soap.

What do you do when this happens? Do you fall to your hands and knees and blurt out the words, “I’m not worthy”?

Or Do you look at Sally in the face and tell her to sit down and shutup. It’s time to make this dream your reality.

Good. I was hoping you’d say that. Sabotage Sally doesn’t deserve a seat at your table. “She can’t sit with us!”

Here’s the stone cold truth…

Every good idea that pops into your head has all the potential you’re willing to give it.

Yes. It is indeed up to you. Not up to Sally, or your Mom, or your Husband, or your dog.

You hold the key to your success.

You should read that again before going any further.

Consider your dream/ big idea a destination and the goals you set are your navigation system.

Your first right turn isn’t going to get you to where you’re going, but it’s surely going to get you closer.

I have had some crazy dreams, some that I had to actually physically fight Sally to even start. She lost after some long drawn out battles.

After the war was won, I used these tips to help me accomplish some of my biggest dreams.

  1. Be real with yourself. There’s a difference between Sally talking you out of something, and your dream being possible. I’d love to be a gold medal gymnast, but God made me 6 feet tall and thick as a brick, so me being JennyLuikin will never be in the cards for me. Really think about what you’re dreaming about, take some deep breaths and ask yourself, is this realistic?

  2. Make sure your dream is aligned with your values. When this happens, no obstacle—big or small—will stop you.

  3. Research. You need to find out what it is going to take. This piggy backs off of tip #1. You know you have it in you, but you also need to be real about what it will actually take to get there. There are fantastic resources available to you right now on this magical unicorn we call the internet. Use them. Read up on what you’re trying to accomplish. If someone else is doing it, see if you can find out how they did it. One resource that has been a game changer for me is Udemy.com. There are courses galore. Self education is truly a gift, and comes at a very affordable price.

  4. Set up a plan. Here’s where your goals come in. Come up with a realistic timeline with every goal you need to complete. Think of your plan like the directions your mom still prints off of mapquest. I’m not going to lie, I struggle with this sometimes. There’s also courses on Udemy on how task orienting. Game changer.

  5. Accountability. Hold yourself accountable. Don’t netflix and chill when you know you have stuff to do. Wake up early. Tell people you are close with and that you trust what you are working on! You are strong and capable of holding yourself accountable, but it’s always nice to have that friend who is relentless and cares about your dreams almost as much as you do.

  6. Ask for help. Life is a beach sometimes. It’s hard and we all have obligations. It’s okay to need help, and it’s definitely okay to ask for it. The worst someone can say is no. And that’s okay, too.

  7. Say it out loud. Say it in the mirror. Write a bunch of sticky notes and post them all over your mirror. Talk to yourself as if this dream is already your reality. Say it again. Don’t stop until it’s the truth.

  8. Outsource when you can/need to. Big dreams come with big responsibilities. Sometimes there is just too much to handle, or maybe even just something that is outside of your wheel house. Delegate. There is an incredible website called Fiverr.com. There are so many talented people in the world ready to take on what you can’t or don’t have time for for a very reasonable price.

  9. Write it down. You’ll be saying your dream outloud, but writing it down solidifies it in your head even more. Write it down whenever you can. Then go back to number 7.

  10. Be organized. I wish I had an extensive paragraph for this one. I don’t. I’m not very organized and it is one of my tactical goals for the near future. I will say, however, the more my ducks are in a row, the more productive I am with my time, and waaaalaaaaaaa the more I can put out into the world.

I know what it is like to have a dream inside of your head. I know what it is like to revisit that dream on a daily basis. And I am very well versed on Sally’s objections.

Here’s the kicker though, Sally is merely a damaged and tainted you who only grows in strength when you don’t drop kick her in the face and tell her to quiet down, she’s bein too loud.

You have too much potential to let her hold the microphone for one more day.

Get up and make things happen. The world needs you.